Caretakers Of The Past: Lakes District Museum

Established to protect local heritage back in 1948, Lakes District Museum was housed in the Ballarat Hotel’s Billards Room, close to the site of the Arrowtown Bakery. 

Seven years later, the museum moved to its current site on the corner of Buckingham and Wiltshire Streets, the former home of the Bank of New Zealand which was built in1875.

A treasure in itself, the heritage building has undergone significant repairs and renovation to provide earthquake strengthening, with the $3.5M project completed in 2022, returning the building to its former glory.

Playing a vital role in connecting locals and visitors with Queenstown Lakes District’s past, the museum brings the history, culture and stories of the region to life.

Museum director, Jane Peasey, explains how the museum has evolved over the years: ”The curating of artefacts and acquisitions is ongoing, but we now have many more exhibitions, where we work with local artists, businesses and senior school artists to provide a gallery space to showcase their work."

“We also work closely with school groups and host a popular education programme that includes a Victorian classroom experience. More recently a major part of our work has been the commencement of digitising our collections," Jane says.

Fortunate to secure a grant from community fund, Impact100 Wakatipu, additional funding has supported the digitisation of museum archives. As a museum operating under a charitable trust, this generous grant has enabled essential work to begin, with new team member Alicia leading the important and endless endevour of diligently digitising all the records, already completing over 700 hours of oral history.

Jane says the significant piece of work has enabled more accurate cataloguing, sharing of resources and builds resilience for the museum.

"More than 70 percent of our collection is on display in contrast to larger museums who typically have a smaller proportion. We're often approached by researchers to share copies of our artefacts, therefore digitisation makes this much more efficient," says Jane.

Among Jane’s favourite pieces on display at Lakes District Museum are a handwritten letter from Victorian cricketer WG Grace and a moustache cup from the 1880s, created to allow gentlemen to drink tea whilst keeping their moustached upper lip dry.

”Our most recent acquisition is a pamphlet for the 2024 Arrowtown Spring Flower Show. We’re always collecting and we constantly have to consider what’s going to be relevant in 50 years time," Jane adds.

Learn a little or delve into deeper research, enjoy the art displays or browse through the gift shop, ask questions at the local information desk. Whatever your interest, Lakes District Museum has something for everyone and the dedicated team is happy to help guide your journey.