New Exhibition At Whanganui Regional Museum Celebrates Sacred Architecture
The exhibition is the result of a major collaborative effort between the Whanganui Camera Club and the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust. Featuring the work of 24 talented club photographers, the project documents 70 sites of architectural significance, with over 2,000 digital images. The images have been archived in the Alexander Heritage & Research Library/Te Rerenga mai o te Kāuru. Of these, 40 carefully selected prints are on display, alongside a digital display of around 200 images.
The original print exhibition unveiled last year at Whanganui Arts Centre was curated by Andrew Clifford (Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery), Bruce Dickson and Denis McGowan (local architects and members of the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust), and Beverley Sinclair and John Smart from the Whanganui Camera Club. The current presentation at the Museum has been curated by Maeve Egan, Kaihāpai Taonga/Curator at the Whanganui Regional Museum.
'This exhibition honours not just the buildings, but the stories and communities behind them,' says Egan. 'It's an evocative tribute to the region's spiritual heritage, captured through the eyes of passionate local photographers. We're thrilled to offer visitors a chance to experience these spaces in a new light.'
Our Places of Worship is now open daily from 10am to 4.30pm until September 16, at the Whanganui Regional Museum, located in Pukenamu Queens Park on Watt Street. Entry is free, with koha (donations) gratefully accepted to support the Museum's work.
Exhibition details
Our Places of Worship
Open daily 10am-4.30pm at Whanganui Regional Museum, Pukenamu Queens Park, Watt Street, Whanganui. Admission is free.
Founded in 1892, the Whanganui Regional Museum is internationally renowned for its Taonga Māori Collection. Located in Pukenamu Queen's Park, visitors can view the exceptional creations of tupuna (ancestors) of Whanganui tangata whenua (indigenous people) alongside a changing exhibition programme encompassing a world-class collection of natural and human history, with a regional emphasis. The ground level boutique museum store sells a range of local and Māori jewellery, books, cards, art, and other New Zealand-made gift items.
The Whanganui Regional Museum Trust is an independent legal entity that owns the collection and governs the development of the Museum on behalf of the Whanganui community.
Open to visitors daily from 10.00am to 4.30pm (except Christmas Day and Good Friday), entry to Whanganui Regional Museum is free.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
21 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Hundreds of otherwise homeless turning to unsafe boarding houses, social services warn
[xh ]The wild west of housing - boarding houses The inside of a Grey Lynn boarding house in 2018. Photo: RNZ / Eva Corlett Social services warn hundreds of otherwise homeless people in Auckland, including families, are turning to the wild west of housing - boarding houses. Over the last eight months, Rangi Andrews from Kāhui Tū Kaha has been part of a team door-knocking Auckland's lodges to meet the owners and work alongside them to support the vulnerable people under their roofs. He said 50 of the 170 boarding houses refused them entry and of those that were co-operative, it was common to see sub-standard, filthy accommodation. "I would see unkept common areas, maintenance that hasn't been handled, we're talking about holes in the walls from possible fights or antisocial behaviour and things that you would expect from a landlord to upkeep," Andrews said. "The smell coming out of bathrooms that indicate that they're not clean or sanitary." A room at a boarding house in Auckland costs on average $320 a week, leaving those on a benefit less than $100 for other bills. Andrews said more than half of the 120 boarding houses they entered had shared bathrooms and kitchens. "We're looking at women coming out of family harm incidents who are sharing common spaces with those who are exiting our remand prisons or gang members," he said. "We've had a big push over the last eight months to remove a lot of those vulnerable individuals into more appropriate accomodation." He said Kāhui Tū Kaha had so far relocated about 50 people from Auckland lodges into more stable housing - including a family of nine. Numbers from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) show nationally there were 5226 fewer people staying in emergency housing - such as motels, hotels, lodges or campgrounds - a drop of 78 percent in May this year compared to the same month last year. Social services have raised concerns that the government's move to tighten access to emergency housing has created more homelessness . Auckland City missioner Helen Robinson said boarding houses were once a last resort but have become the first option for many. "There are many hundreds of people who are going to boarding houses - that's actually considered permanent housing where actually it's not because there is no security of tenure, it's unregulated, it's unsafe." Robinson said some people chose to sleep rough over staying at boarding houses, especially women. Auckland City missioner Helen Robinson. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi MSD had reduced the number of emergency housing accommodation suppliers by more than 100, from 299 to 158 - but the agency no longer recorded these by type, instead they were "unspecified". In Auckland, the number of suppliers dropped from 79 motels and hotels and three campgrounds or hostels in May last year, to 28 unspecified suppliers this May. Auckland councillor Angela Dalton heads the community committee which recently tabled an update showing the city now had 809 rough sleepers -- 90 percent more than last September. "People are turning to wherever they can but there are people who won't go to boarding houses because they feel unsafe. Our boarding houses are not regulated enough for us to know who's there, that it is a safe place." In the last financial year, Auckland Council audited 158 boarding houses to check their building warrant of fitness paperwork, which relates to fire safety, was current - of those, 40 percent, or 68, failed. Boarding house inspections came under the spotlight after five people were killed in a fire at Loafers Lodge in Wellington just over two years ago. The tragedy sparked a review by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on the safety of boarding houses across New Zealand, which found 90 percent of Auckland boarding houses inspected in 2023 appeared to be operating illegally . According to Tenancy Services, boarding house landlords needed to give their tenants 28 days' written notice of eviction but could end the tenancy immediately on certain grounds, including if the person staying there had caused serious damage or endangered other tenants. There were also some circumstances in which a boarding house landlord could end a tenancy with 48 hours notice. Rangi Andews would like to see the city's most vulnerable in stable, safe, secure accommodation. "We see other third world countries and we comment on the slums but our ones are just painted a different colour and maybe a bit more hidden from public view." RNZ approached some lodge owners for this story, but they did not want to take part. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Icon or eyesore? New Plymouth power station's long redundant chimney
Paritutu and the chimney from Ngāmotu Beach, New Plymouth. Photo: Jo Taylor The New Plymouth Power Station chimney has dominated the city's skyline since 1972, but it has not been used for about two decades. For many locals, the 198m stack - which was for many years New Zealand's tallest structure - was a symbol of home, while for others it's a blight on the landscape. The Power Station chimney was actually five brick flues surrounded by a 27.5m in diameter concrete windshield. It took 16,400 tonnes of concrete, 1200 tonnes of reinforcing steel, and almost one million bricks to build. The bricks were laid at a rate of 10,000 a day. Craig Cardie trained as an electrician at the station - and for him, the chimney was an icon. "It's been there for a long time and I just think it's a part of the landscape. It's quite a cool thing to see. I think it would be a bit of a shame if it disappeared, everyone has a photo of it somewhere. Craig Cardie trained as an electrician at the power station. Photo: Robin Martin "It's a pity it hasn't been turned into something else like maybe if it is structurally sound to be a tourist attraction of some kind. There could be a viewing platform at the top, maybe even a restaurant." Cardie had the privilege of being to the top. "There's an access elevator inside it's pretty ancient but does the job. So, you can get up on the top and the views are amazing because you can get access right around and the views are stunning. "On a very clear day you can see right up north, around the coast and you can see right across and get Ruapehu on a super clear day." Port Taranaki bought the power station land when it was decommissioned in 2008 and oversaw demolition of most of the buildings from 2014. Commercial manager Ross Dingle said the $5 million cost to bring down the chimney was the main reason it was left standing. He was not a fan. Port Taranaki commercial manager Ross Dingle is not the chimney's biggest fan. Photo: Robin Martin "I've got mixed emotions because my father and my father-in-law helped build it, but really it's an eyesore. It's a big piece of concrete standing right in the middle of an area of natural beauty. I would not be unhappy if it came down." Dingle said various uses had been mooted for the chimney. "We've spoken about a zipline down to the Paritutu car park, an international graffiti site, a revolving restaurant on top, but to be fair it's in the middle of a port operations area and we've got to make sure that's accessible and easily accessible to our customers who use that space and that just doesn't work in well with public access." Dingle said in the meantime, the chimney was structurally sound and had a lifespan out beyond 2050. Former New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd would like to see more ambition for the chimney. "It's absolutely an icon, it's part of our landscape. It's a shame it's not utilised. I mean imagine having a restaurant or a viewing platform up the top. It would bring the tourists in, promote the province. The flues at the top of the former New Plymouth power station chimney. Photo: Taranaki Daily News "It would probably be a bit of a challenge, but without dreams nothing ever happens. It's great, I love the chimney." Dingle saw a catch. "So inside the chimney there's areas where there is asbestos and so for health and safety reasons we don't let people up there unless they absolutely have to be up there and even when they do go up they are fully kitted out with PPE a mask, hat, overalls and all of that has to be disposed of when they get back to the bottom." On Devon Street, locals had mixed views on the chimney. Rebecca couldn't understand why it was still there. "Is it useful? Does it have a point? Paritutu Rock is a tourist attraction not the chimney." Gordon was a bit more favourably disposed to it. "I think it's okay. I don't hate it, I don't love it. I wouldn't mind seeing it painted a bright colour or something or chuck a revolving restaurant on top, maybe take people up for tours. I'd be a bit disappointed if it was removed." The chimney as viewed from the sea. Photo: Taranaki Daily News Peter thought the chimney had outlived its welcome. "Time to move on I think. I know it's iconic for a lot of local people, but it reflects the industry that's in its sunset - oil and gas. I think we can better use our scenery and respect the maunga in that area." Paul was a fan. "I think it's an icon but only because I watched it get built as a young boy in this city." Sue had a particular concern. "I'd probably miss the lights if it were to go." Dingle said Port Taranaki would eventually use the large area of flat land the chimney stands on for new operations such as oil and gas decommissioning projects, support for offshore wind farm installations or potentially a liquified natural gas imports hub. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Aaron Smale: Bill, Will and talkback trash
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Bookbinder Bill Tito treats Shakespeare like a taonga, but receives racism and bigotry in return. Photo / Aaron Smale In a past life, Mana magazine editor Derek Fox asked me to take a photo of the bookbinder Bill Tito. Derek had written a human interest piece on a lovely man who came to the big city and landed an apprenticeship as a bookbinder, a master craft he has practised ever since. He's nearly 80. Bill is not only a lovely man but also interested in everything, and he had built a marketing style that revolved around pithy rhymes and his own natural charisma and charm. One of his catchlines was, 'Don't despair, think repair.' Books are one of my indulgences and stepping into Bill's workshop was to enter a wonderland of history and craftsmanship. It was filled with old and severely worn titles people had treasured over generations and couldn't bear to get rid of. Many were copies of The Bible the size of a modest doorstep. One was tiny and could fit into the palm of your hand. But it didn't matter – Bill would lovingly restore them all. Many others were editions of Shakespeare's works, also heirlooms that he restored to their former glory. In a recent radio ad, he referred to Shakespeare as England's kaumātua. That sounds to me like an expression of the utmost respect, which was how Bill intended it. Kaumātua can mean elder, but it's more than that. It encapsulates wisdom and reverence. It's a different meaning to rangatira, or chief/leader, but the two terms can overlap considerably. It was too much for some listeners to Newstalk ZB, where Bill was the target of racist vitriol in letter and by phone from mostly anonymous dickheads. There were insults about Māori literacy and just general racist nastiness. (Actually, in the 19th century, many Māori were more literate than many Pākehā getting off the boat, who weren't exactly speaking Shakespearean English, while some iwi had their own printing presses.) One woman accused Bill of virtue signalling. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have a clue what she was on about – he doesn't use email, let alone Facebook. But it's clear from her letter that this woman is a white supremacist, and a gutless one at that. She wasn't the only one. Suffice to say, Bill Tito was baffled and hurt. He does not deserve that kind of rubbish. Some Pākehā have a notion that everyone from the land of their forebears lived in castles and sat around reading Shakespeare all day, making them direct heirs and guardians to high culture and civilisation. The more likely history is that they're descended from illiterate peasants who left a shithole of a place in the hope of something better on the other side of the world. One of my first Pākehā ancestors to land here was a kid who, with his family, left County Monaghan in Ireland barely a generation after the famine and arrived here in the middle of the Land Wars. He was illiterate and spoke Gaelic. Within one generation, he and his sons owned several farms on confiscated land. Their something better came at someone else's expense. In his day, Shakespeare was entertainment mainly for the illiterate lower classes; his works didn't become canonised and revered as a high point in English literature until some time after his death. Only then did they become objects of status for upper-class snobs (and colonial wannabes). One of the strengths of the English language is that it's a mongrel of a thing. It's a mix of influences, including Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Celtic, Latin, French and German. Shakespeare ripped off narratives and characters and locations from other countries' histories all the time, including Italy and Denmark. Did the Italians tell him to cease and desist because he was sullying their high culture with lowbrow productions? Like all great literature, Shakespeare transcends his own time and place because he's dramatising the human condition, which is why his work has been produced in so many different ways. Leonardo DiCaprio featured in a version of Romeo and Juliet set amid a mob feud in a stylised Los Angeles. Do those who bitched at Bill Tito object to that? In 2012, the recreated Globe Theatre in London staged 37 performances of 37 Shakespeare plays by 37 theatre groups from around the world. One of those groups was Māori, Ngākau Toa, featuring Rawiri Paratene, one of our country's finest actors and a lover of Shakespeare. The costuming, language and performance were totally Māori and totally Shakespeare, and the Shakespeare aficionados viewing it were completely blown away by the intensity. Does that offend the sensibilities of ZB listeners? I reckon Old Will would be chuffed to be referred to as a kaumātua. And I also think Old Will would thank Old Bill Tito as a kaumātua and rangatira of his craft for preserving his works in physical form so lovingly.
