Local exhibition travelling to NZ army museum
In a first for Western Bay Museum, its display will travel to Waiouru facility
Western Bay Museum has its first ever travelling exhibition. The museum’s latest exhibition Service and Sacrifice is going on tour in October and will travel to the National Army Museum in Waiouru where it will be exhibited for six months.
Service and Sacrifice tells the stories of heroic New Zealand women throughout war history told through information boards, video, artefacts and memorabilia — some of it previously owned by the heroines themselves — and starring local women too.
When the exhibition was being researched, it just grew and grew, Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic says.
Information boards provide glimpses of their stories — from the first New Zealand nurses in a military campaign during the Boer War, nurses of World War I and II, the heroine of the Battle of Pukehinahina, land girls and auxiliary corp of World War II to the Fundraiser and Soldiers Friend.
Paula says the volunteers and all involved are proud of their efforts after hearing Service and Sacrifice will go on the road.
“There is so much work that goes into any exhibition and many people and businesses are involved, that no one really appreciates — for a small museum like ours that aspires to be the best small museum — all involved must be passionate and enthusiastic about their work.
“The research volunteers are just that, unpaid volunteers, and when our work is recognised by the gifting of significant objects, documents and photographs and deemed good enough to go on tour to the country’s National Army Museum — we all feel rewarded and proud of our efforts.
“We provide these exhibitions on a shoestring budget with financial and resource constraints, yet we de
The research volunteers are just that, unpaid volunteers, and when our work is recognised by the gifting of significant objects, documents and photographs and deemed good enough to go on tour to the country’s National Army Museum — we all feel rewarded and proud of our efforts.
Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic
liver quality and high standard material.”
An Auckland College teacher is also using the exhibition in her social studies and history curriculum.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is The Land Girls which was the largest of the women’s war services. However, its members were not invited to march in the end-of-war parades with other service organisations.
The exhibition tells the stories of three land girls; Marjory Shaw, Betty Miller and Marie Champion who worked on the Hume farm in Katikati.
Joy Edmonds, niece of Marjory Shaw, kept a large collection of Marjory’s photos and documents including the instruction manual, insignia, badge which should have been returned or destroyed at the end of World War II, as were all official records of the women.
Robert Antrim, nephew of Te Puke nurse Marjorie Harrisworked with plastic surgeon Archibald Mcindoe and the Guinea Pig Club has permanently gifted a transcript of every letter Marjorie sent home from the day she left for the United Kingdom.