Stone tools from Whitianga area; document treatment area at Otahuhu facility of the Auckland Museum.
We were granted rare access to the underground storage facilities of the main museum and also the offsite storage facility in Otahuhu. Most of us were unaware of this latter site but it is a cavernous building with a vast collection of items held in environmentally controlled storage.
Items to be held in this facility must first be treated either in freezing conditions for some time or in a nitrogen purged controlled atmosphere room to destroy any possible biological pests. Only about 10% of the Museum’s holdings are on display at any one time, so it was a rare chance for us to see the huge range of things that the Museum actually deals with including rare documents as well as more traditional items.
Of special interest were the many drawers of archaeological treasures from all over the Coromandel specially displayed for us by the Museum staff. These included stone adzes and other tools from the Whitianga area along with an extensive and spectacular collection of spear tips and fishhooks from Opito Bay, many of which were crafted from whale and/or dog bones.
The Society would like to thank the Museum staff for generously donating their time to give us a wonderful glimpse into the work they do to preserve our heritage for future generations.
