Western Bay Museum appoints Collection Curator
Western Bay Museum in Katikati has taken a significant step toward realising its ambition as Aotearoa’s best small regional museum with the appointment of a museum qualified Collection Curator.
The only museum in the Western Bay, the Western Bay Museum is the guardian and custodian of the Western Bay’s stories and treasures.
The Collection Curator role is a crucial element of the Museum’s Development and Strategic Plan, and applicants from around the globe applied for the position.
“The science and skillset of museum qualified staff mostly go unnoticed as these highly skilled people work behind the scenes,” says Paula Gaelic, Manager of Western Bay Museum.
The successful applicant, Rosemary Deane, has worked for over 20 years in Collections, Library/Archive and Exhibition curator roles. Rosemary obtained a PGDip in Museum Studies from Massey University and has extensive museum experience in a variety of Museums, including MOTAT, Rotorua Museum, Te Awamutu Museum, Cambridge Museum and Te Toi Uku, the Crown Lynn and Clayworks Museum.
“Rosemary’s skills and experience will take us to the next level in museums best practice,” says Paula.
Rosemary begins her new role in February. “I am really looking forward to working with Paula, who has a great vision for the museum,” says Rosemary. “The collection needs a lot of work to get it onto a database, but I relish a challenge, and there are plenty of volunteers to help with the process.”
Rosemary says her career highlights include helping deinstall the taonga Māori from Rotorua Museum after closing due to earthquake damage. “I helped condition report and clean some of the huge carvings, including Pūkaki, who appears on our 20-cent piece. At Te Toi Uku, the Crown Lynn and Clayworks Museum, I developed and installed all new exhibitions after I started, which made the museum a bigger and better experience for visitors as a result.”