what's on

Permanent displays

We have many permanent exhibits to
see, these are just a few:

- Maori settlement
- private bath room from the bath house's heyday
- Te Aroha's (surprising) sporting champs
- farming and agriculture including the story of Gladys Reid, "The Zinc Lady"
- geology and mining
- medicine in Te Aroha
- communications room
- history of Te Aroha and Lemon

We also have an impressive Mergenthaler Linotype 14 hot metal machine which has a very interesting international story.

The Museum has over 350 pieces of its souvenir china collection on display; its a fine collection and well worth seeing.

Changing displays

We refresh our displays on a regular basis creating centre-pieces about people, stories or artefacts:

Calamity!
Waihou River highway
Bottles from the past
Pioneer days
Coast watchers
Domestic life
Theatres of Te Aroha
Te Aroha's railway history
Local bands of yesteryear
A place to stay
Honouring our People
Waihou village

Still to come this year:

- Governance
- Then and now

NEW DISPLAYS INCLUDE:

EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS SERVICE

Come and find out about the EPS set-up by the government in 1935 to coordinate a response to a natural disaster - initiated after the earthquake in Napier.

EARLY SCHOOL DAYS

Items familiar and items new (depending on your age). A fascinating glimpse into school days, before computers, around the early 1900's. There are some surprising artefacts.

FROM CHINA TO TE AROHA

The story of Wong Foo and his descendants has been carefully and sensitively researched. The display provides a rich insight into the struggles early settlers faced with equity and racial prejudice.

COAST WATCHERS

The Museum has a moving display about the fate of the WW2 coast watchers stationed on Tarawa Island, which included Te Aroha local Claude Kilpin and Robert Irwin Hitchon from Waitoa.

Our Museum hosts are local, very knowledgeable and can answer questions on our displays and general history. All our displays
are researched and created by our volunteers.

We stage special exhibitions and have both permanent and revolving displays, all of which are updated frequently so that the Museum continues to provide a relevant and informative place for interaction for regular and new visitors alike.