Birthday bash at museum
While many nonagenarians might consider a slice of cake and a drink or two a satisfactory way to celebrate their birthday, when Murray McCartie turns 94 this month he plans to celebrate a bit differently.
If his health permits, Murray will be spending his birthday weekend chatting to visitors at a museum he founded himself.
The Forgotten World Museum will be open daily over Waitangi Weekend this year, says Dave Hunger, who helped Murray relocate the museum to Dave’s Pembroke Rd farm last year.
While Murray will be celebrating turning 94 over the long weekend, it isn’t the only birthday being celebrated at the Hunger property that weekend, says Dave.
“My grandsons Reece and Tyler Robins share a birthday with Murray, they will be turning 8 years old when he turns 94.”
The museum was orginially in Tahora 30 years ago where Murray
lived there, before moving with Murray to his next home in East Rd. Last year, the museum moved once more, to a new home on Dave’s farm when Murray and his family were moving again and had
no room at their new property for the museum.
Dave says the open days over the Waitangi long weekend are a great opportunity for tamariki to spend time with their parents or grandparents and find out about life for the early settlers in the Tahora and Whangamomona areas.
With a wide range of items on display, from tools used by the early settlers to a fascinating collection of woodchopping memorabilia collected by Murray, who was a champion woodchopper in his day.
Everyone is welcome, Dave says, with free entry and ample parking on site. People are welcome to bring a picnic to eat outside, while Devonshire teas are also set to be served outside the museum at 2pm each day, as long as the sun is shining.