THE Mōkau Museum and gallery, in North St, provides a vast array of artefacts, photographs and documents relating to the region and surrounding township. PHOTO SUPPLIED
THE international history website Mainly Museums commissioned Taranaki history enthusiast Sean Bevan to write a profile on the Mōkau Museum this week.
Sean said he was surprised to receive a request for a story about the museum from the site’s Vancouver-based editor John McKerrcher.
“In real life, I’m an ice-cream manufacturer not a writer, but I was happy to oblige as I enjoy history and adore the museum at Mōkau,” Sean said.
“I arrived in New Zealand six years ago, had my first taste of snapper, in Mokau – delicious – and popped over the road to visit the Mōkau Museum. It was to be a good day.
“This tiny, award-winning, treasure told of the way of life, isolation, and resilience of a West Coast community on the banks of the Mōkau River.
“During my initial tour I held in my hands the actual propeller, that for 38 years pushed the Cygnet cream launch which served remote farms along the river, providing the only contact with the outside world for some of them till the service ended 1957.”
John said he returned to the museum this week to gather more information for his article for Mainly Museums, whose writers are urged to provide a personal take on museums located around the world.
“Inside at the museum, it was all quiet, calm, and cool.
“Curator Kath Jennings took me on a tour, showing me the recently put together exhibit on the 50 caves in the district. This comprised a story and photos on complete moa found by surveyor in one of the caves.
There were two fascinating local iwi collaborative exhibits; a compelling whitebait exhibit; an exhibit describing the Mōkau connection to the Piano film; descriptions of local papa rock geology and stories of blue whales. “Walking between display cases, Cathy’s affectionate, occasionally melancholic, words drew me into each new adventure.
“I was then treated to a seat in the tiny jail, now a four-seat cinema, to watch a colour film of the Cygnet’s last river trip. It was a perfect day.”
“Today, the Cygnet is under restoration.
“There’s talk of relaunching a tourist river ride along the Mōkau.
“Well, if they ever need a skipper, I’d love to be holding the little ship’s wheel in my hands.”
Meanwhile, the museum has been receiving a steady stream of visitors over the holiday period, with many of them, like John, expressing surprise at the wide range of exhibits to be seen there.
Pukekohe couple Jonathan and Charlette Ellis said they had looked at a map of the country and decided to spend their annual holidays at Mokau. It was a country location by the sea which they’d previously known nothing about.
“We spent several days at Mōkau before pressing on to New Plymouth and what a treat this little town has been,” said Jonathan, who is a software designer at Fisher and Paykel.
“Our daughters loved the beaches with their tall dramatic cliffs, it’s a lovely friendly little community and the museum is fascinating with plenty to see.”
