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 360 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
The Anglo-Boer War
Theatres of Te Aroha
Te Aroha's railway history
Local bands of yesteryear
A place to stay
Honouring our People
Elstow village

To be upgraded/coming soon:

- Governance
- Photographers of Te Aroha

NEW DISPLAYS INCLUDE:

THE HOLMES' PHOTOGRAPHS

Te Aroha resident, Alfred Holmes was a talented amateur photographer. We are lucky to have a large number of his glass plates. This unique collection of images documents local life in the mid-1900's.

NICOL ASHTON LARNEY

An interesting story about a local man whose inventions included Larney's Anthelmintic, a cure for lungworm in cattle and sheep. It was manufactured in Te Aroha before production moved
to Auckland.

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.

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.