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Wyllie Cottage heritage restoration
Tairāwhiti Museum and Gisborne District Council have just begun the first phase of an exciting new project for Gisborne, the heritage restoration of Wyllie Cottage. Wyllie Cottage, built in 1872, was the first European building on the Taruheru side of the river. The cottage is named for its first owners Kate (née Halbert) and James Ralston... Read more »
Caring for Wyllie Cottage collections
I’m Megan, Collection Technician at Tairāwhiti Museum. I am responsible for processing all objects currently housed in Wyllie Cottage before the heritage restoration begins. With approximately two hundred and fifty objects made from materials as diverse as silk, wood, leather, iron and paper, from the size of a fountain pen to a double bed, and... Read more »
Kate Wyllie’s Māori New Testament
The history and conservation of a 6th edition Māori New Testament held in the Tairāwhiti Museum collection.
de-shingling Wyllie Cottage
The second phase of work on Wyllie Cottage has now begun. Tairāwhiti Museum staff completed the removal of all the objects from the cottage earlier this month, and the building has now been handed over to project contractors Bothwell Construction, to begin work on the restoration of the cottage proper. Spending much more time than... Read more »
A glimpse inside
An important part of undertaking a heritage conservation project – in addition to a comprehensive study of the physical building – is compiling as much photographic and archive evidence as possible to piece together the building’s history and help inform decision making. Since the Wyllie Cottage project got underway last year we’ve been poring through... Read more »
Cottage Congoleum considered
The removal of collection items from Wyllie Cottage has been completed, and work on the restoration of the building is now well underway. A total of 316 museum collection items including 35 large domestic items, framed works, and smaller items consisting of soft furnishings (textiles), clothing, ceramics, glassware, books, small framed works, children’s toys and... Read more »
Appealing objects – decorative arts at Tairāwhiti Museum
New to the Jack C Richards Decorative Arts Gallery: Chinese-style glass vessels by Alexander Lamont Workshops (Thailand); Japanese-influenced ceramics by New Zealand potter Aaron Scythe; decorative paintings by British/New Zealand artist Melanie Mills and three, early twentieth-century Japanese wedding robes.
Tracing the inhabitants of Wyllie Cottage
While the cottage is closed for renovation we have been researching the inhabitants, and have been surprised by the number of people who have lived there, albeit briefly. As is always the way though, our research has raised as many questions as answers, and we are hoping that some of the names in this blog... Read more »
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Wyllie Cottage heritage restoration
Tairāwhiti Museum and Gisborne District Council have just begun the first phase of an exciting new project for Gisborne, the heritage restoration of Wyllie Cottage. Wyllie Cottage, built in 1872, was the first European building on the Taruheru side of the river. The cottage is named for its first owners Kate (née Halbert) and James Ralston... Read more »
Caring for Wyllie Cottage collections
I’m Megan, Collection Technician at Tairāwhiti Museum. I am responsible for processing all objects currently housed in Wyllie Cottage before the heritage restoration begins. With approximately two hundred and fifty objects made from materials as diverse as silk, wood, leather, iron and paper, from the size of a fountain pen to a double bed, and... Read more »
Kate Wyllie’s Māori New Testament
The history and conservation of a 6th edition Māori New Testament held in the Tairāwhiti Museum collection.
What’s Happening at the Museum
Tōiri. Vibe with your Tribe
Opening: 07/03/25 10:00 am
A Māori artist collective re-indigenises the customary artform of taonga puoro (Māori musical instruments) through the contemporary lens of their respective art practices—whakairo (carving), uku (clay), print media, and videography. Taonga puoro has undergone a renaissance in recent years, the sounds and associated stories emerging and reintegrating into the living culture of tangata whenua. In... Read more »
A Piece of Me – Gisborne Pottery Group
Opening: 22/02/25 10:00 am
The Gisborne pottery group has been ever evolving for the past 50 years. It takes time, effort and connection to transform a piece of clay into a piece of art. A Piece of Me is a reference to our work being ‘A Piece’ or ‘Pieces’. Each piece has been moulded and created by hand which... Read more »
Identity in Frame – Charly Walsh
Opening: 01/02/25 10:00 am
Charly Walsh is a 26-year-old photographer from Tairāwhiti, based in Ōtepoti Dunedin. His practice is inspired by the layered ways art can capture intimacy, history, and community. Captivated by historic locations, psychogeography, quiet drizzly nights, negative space, and conceptual portraiture, all which weave into his visual storytelling. With each photograph, you are invited to step... Read more »
Wimples, crosses, and lepers Women of influence – Margaret Hansen
Opening: 22/11/24 5:30 pm
It began simply enough. Margaret’s aunties looked at her from their old photographs. These aunties, Marie and Alice were Catholic nuns, of different orders, women among the last of their kind. Margaret looked back and came to wonder about their lives, about who they were within and beyond their veils. She decided to honour the... Read more »
There are no upcoming events at this time.
We welcome ideas for new projects and exhibitions so if you have something in mind, please get in touch – we would love to hear from you!
