Events and Visitor Programmes
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Build a Plesiosaur
Hey kids - can you spare us 10 minutes of your time these holidays.
Pop in to The Nelson Provincial Museum between 10am and 12pm any day and help us
build a giant plesiosaur. Strictly speaking it is an elasmosaur. In New Zealand
it might have been called taniwhasaurus or moanasaurus - do you know why? Anyway
this marine reptile that was once described as "what you might see if you pulled
a snake through a tortoise". How weird is that! The model you help to build will
form part of a major new exhibition called NZ FOSSILS - DEAD PRECIOUS! that starts
on 9 May.
Also come and see a genuine fossilised neck vertebrae from one of its relatives that lived
and died in New Zealand over 65 million years ago.
We’ve got a great picture to colour in too and these will be used to help us decide
what colours to paint the model. The best fantasy pictures will feature in our windows
too. The original picture was created in the US by artist Rick Sardinha.
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Hey kids colour me in!!
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Exhibitions
Our Stories
28 February - 26 April 2009
Our Stories is a joint project sponsored by IHC and CCS Disability Action. This
is a unique opportunity to create a new level of awareness and dialogue around the
lives of people living with disabilities. It is a stunning exhibition of 72 black
and white images by photographer Hanne Johnsen reflecting a diversity of people
living with disabilities.
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Fossils - Dead Precious
Showcases and celebrates New Zealand fossils as indicators and predictors of things
such as climate change, evolution, natural disasters and mineral deposits. Why did
dinosaurs disappear? Could humans end up extinct? This exhibition will be open from
9 May 2009. Look out for details of the visitor programmes associated with this
exhibition; especially a treat we are planning for the July holidays. Come along
and see our plesiosaur and a giant eagle.
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Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Father of New Zealand Geology
150th Anniversary of his survey of the Nelson Region
Ferdinand Hochstetter visited this region at the request of the Provincial Government
in 1859. He laid the Foundation Stone of an early version of the Nelson Institute
and Museum. Where was it? The first 10 correct responses get free entry to the Fossils - Dead Precious
exhibition. Email your answer to ceo@museumnp.org.nz |
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Stories from Te Tau Ihu - Top of the South
Our long term exhibition in the lower gallery explores the history, geology and
cultures of the region from Golden Bay to Tasman Bay its unique identity. Several
people have suggested we put real cave critters in the display of the Cave area.
Contact us with ideas education@museumnp.org.nz
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Marsden returns to Isel House
The Nelson Provincial Museum and the Isel House Charitable Trust have recently signed
an agreement to reinstate some of the original china, furniture and paintings into
Isel House. The Marsden paintings are being conserved by paintings conservator John
Harper. This work is able to be undertaken through the generous support of a Lotteries
and Heritage grant, and funding from the Cawthron Institute. Four large gilt-framed
oil paintings have come back from the conservator and are now in Isel House. 'On
the Bosphorous' by artist George Fryer and 'A Sylvan Glade' by Louis Spangenberg
now hang in the Drawing Room. 'St Gerome' by an unknown artist and a painting of
Venice by Canaletto hang in the main stairwell.
Isel House is located in the beautiful Isel Park, a close neighbour of The Nelson Provincial Museum
Research Facility. Isel house is open to the public daily from 11am to 4pm until
April. Over the winter months, until the end of August, it is open in the weekends
only.
You can find out more about Isel House, the Park and the Marsden family by visiting
the Prow website at www.theprow.org.nz/nelson-isel-house/
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Collection Technician Timm Corrin prepares to hang two of the
Marsden paintings recently reinstated at Isel House
Venice by Canaletto. Marsden Collection: AC1197
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The Prow Launch, 15 February 2009
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On Sunday the 15th of February The Prow website was officially launched at the Founders
Heritage Park. Led by the Nelson Public Libraries, The Prow is a collaborative venture
between the Nelson, Tasman District and Marlborough District Libraries, The Nelson
Provincial Museum and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT).
As a project partner the museum participated in the launch by setting up a stand containing information
on collections, exhibitions and information services. The stand was visted by a large number of people who spent time looking through samples of our image collection, reading and viewing museum information and trialing a test version of our online catalogue. During
the floor talk session of the launch we delivered a presentation on digitisation and our role in The Prow project.
For more information on The Prow please visit www.theprow.org.nz
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The museum's stand at The Prow Launch.
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One Museum. Two Venues
Are you aware that we work out of two sites?
Exhibitions and Education are hosted at the Museum: Town Acre 445 on the corner of Trafalgar and
Hardy Streets in Nelson, and at the Museum’s Research Facility, located in Isel
Park, Stoke, staff care for our regional treasures.
The Museum’s Isel Park Research Facility
The Museum’s Research Facility in Isel
Park is where we care for a large and diverse collection. This collection includes
one of New Zealand’s most significant photographic collections, a diverse and fascinating
range of natural and social history items in the General Collection, and extensive
historical archives and library resources. Collections are packaged and moved from
the Research Facility to Town Acre 445 for exhibition, and returned to the Research
Facility for storage. Staff are available to assist visitors with research. We are
open between 10am and 4pm Tuesday to Friday, by appointment, and 10am to 2pm on
Saturdays.
For more information visit our website: www.nelsonmuseum.co.nz
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Education Resources Online
The Nelson Provincial Museum's Education Services team have a number of online resources
available to the region's schools and educators. more
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