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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
21 June 2021
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Reports
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan
Activity Report
Department: Dunedin Public Art Gallery
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 This
report covers activities of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (TOSM) and Lan
Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden (DCG) from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Board:
a) Notes the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan
Activity Report for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021.
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BACKGROUND
2 This
report is written for the TOSM Board Meeting and details the latest activities
and KPI performance at TOSM and Lan Yuan (DCG).
DISCUSSION
Visitors
3 We
welcomed 36,398 visitors to TOSM during the January 2021 to March 2021
reporting period. While this represents a 46% decrease compared with the
corresponding period last year, this drop was expected given the border closure
and the absence of international visitors to Dunedin. It is worth noting
that approximately 70% of Dunedin visitors came from international markets and
the corresponding period last year was high season for cruise ship visitors to
the City. The February numbers in particular are low as domestic visitors
are not as likely to travel in February being the end of the summer school
holiday period.
4 Over
the January – March 2021 period 12,829 people visited Lan Yuan (DCG),
representing a 27% decrease in visitor numbers for the corresponding period
last year. As with TOSM, this figure is better than expected. Chinese New Year
featured in February which helped numbers and March figures were higher than
the same month last year, taking into account the country went into lockdown in
late March.
Visitor
Experience
Exhibitions
Furthest Frontier: Stories from Tamatea/Dusky Sound
5 Rolled out on TOSM’s YouTube channel from January to March
this year this seven-episode mini-documentary has been very well received with
initial views on social channels reaching over 25,000 views. The project has
also attracted significant national media coverage, including stories on both
TVNZ and TV3 news, Radio New Zealand and a front-page article in the Otago
Daily Times.
Burns Visitation Book
6 The Visitation book records the Reverend Thomas Burns’
notes on the inhabitants of every home in the Dunedin settlement, taken down
during his regular visitations between 1848 and 1857. It provides an
invaluable record of both Māori and European people living and traveling
through Dunedin during that time period and is unique in New Zealand for the
level of detail it provides about them. Having been conserved and
digitised at Auckland Museum this prized object has now been returned to
display, along with a new custom-made object mount. The newly digitised
material can now be incorporated into more interactive interpretive displays
within the Museum in the future. We have shared this digitised information with
Te Rūnaka o Ngāi Tahu and plan to work together on this and other
projects.
Gallery Refreshes
7 As
the 10-year anniversary of the Museum’s 2013 re-opening
approaches, staff are working on plans to refresh and update many of the
exhibition galleries over the next few years. This is a good opportunity for us
to review our long-term displays to ascertain what is working well and identify
opportunities for improvement including better wayfinding and visitor
circulation as well as new technological and interpretive approaches for the
future. The first phase of the refresh which encompasses the Gold,
Gold, Gold and Ghosts of Wall Street displays has been completed,
with planning now turning to New Edinburgh and the Dunedin on the
move (Transport) displays.
Learning Experiences
outside the Classroom (LEOTC)
8 One
thousand two hundred and eighty-eight (1,288) students participated in LEOTC
programmes at TOSM and Lan Yuan (DCG) during the
February to March period with 221 adults supporting the programme delivery.
9 Eight
hundred and forty-two (842) primary students visited the museum including many
out of town school camp groups focusing on the history of Dunedin. Our Across
the Ocean Waves process drama programme was popular for schools focusing on
Voyages and Journeys as part of their school-wide New Zealand history inquiry.
10 Dunedin
North Intermediate bought all their classes to participate in Ka Ara Tawhitu,
our new Kai Tahu programme which explores the practice of Mahinga kai and
includes the use of the Kai Tahu cultural mapping online atlas ‘Ka Huru
manu’.
11 Balmacewan
Intermediate bought all their year seven students to explore the museum
narrative and help develop their own family stories.
12 Four
hundred and sixty-six (466) secondary students participated in LEOTC
programmes, with a new secondary transport programme being developed for Otago
Girls High School.
13 Feedback
from teachers has been consistently positive over this period.
Public
Programmes
Burns Night: Burns
and Ireland
14 On
25 January 2021 TOSM and the Dunedin Burns Club partnered to celebrate the
poet’s birthday, as well as to celebrate Burns’ Irish connections
with Irish Ambassador Peter Ryan and Professor Sonja Tiernan, the Eamon Cleary
Chair in Irish Studies from the University of Otago.
15 Traditional
Scottish food and beverages were enjoyed by all, with attendees being
entertained by the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra and kapa haka from He Waka
Kōtuia. The Selkirk Grace was delivered by the Mayor of Dunedin, Aaron
Hawkins with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross also addressing the
gathering via video link.
16 Winning
poems in the Robert Burns Poetry competition were recited and the new Burns
Fellow, Becky Manawatu, was welcomed by the former Burns Fellow, John Newton.
17 This
sold out event had 171 attendees.
March Highlights at
Toitū
18 The
live performance and the launch of Kotahitaka: We Are
Ōtepoti Dunedin were both highlights of the March programme.
19 In
support of the Dunedin Fringe Festival, TOSM hosted Faovale
Imperium – Wellington-based comedian James Nokise and DJ Don
Luchito performed comedic poetry on the endeavours and exploits of Captain
James Cook during his voyage through the Pacific. This event was held in the
Smith Gallery and enjoyed by 70 visitors.
20 To support Race Relations Week, TOSM hosted
Kotahitaka and the Dunedin Multi-ethnic Council’s book launch We Are
Ōtepoti Dunedin. The book serves as a snapshot of the many ethnicities
that make up our Dunedin community today and exists both in digital and print
form. The printed version is a single edition which has been donated to TOSM
Reference Library for visitors to enjoy.
Collections
and Exhibitions
New Staffing
21 In
April 2021 we welcomed the new Manager of Collections and Exhibitions, which
will see these two departments working as one. This reporting period we
have also made a permanent appointment to the vacant Archivist role.
Collections
22 Exhibitions
support work has included: arranging and supervising the digitisation of the
Burns Visitation book; continuing to deinstall the temporary exhibition Brought to Light; deinstalling, condition reporting and
returning the Pixie Town collection to store
after its summer exhibition, assisting the exhibition team with preparation for
the Gold and Ghosts of Wall
Street exhibition refresh including advice on mounting and
assistance with mounting of objects, condition reporting and updates to the
Vernon catalogue; assisting with the install of the NZ Scottish regimental
colours; assisting DPAG staff with the Hotere
deinstall.
23 Collections
development work has included: continuing to progress the costume and textile
cataloguing project; supporting an updated and streamlined donation approval
process; photographing collection items for Vernon including online access;
digitisation of archive material including shipboard diaries.
Archive Statistics
24 Staff
processed 343 written archive-related public enquiries as well as 66 enquiries
by telephone.
Commercial
Activity
25 Retail
sales at TOSM continue to be well above our expected sales. Sales in the shop
for the month are at a pre-COVID level which is excellent considering the drop
in visitation. As always homewares and toys are strong, and we have had a
pleasing increase in the number of cards sold. We are in the final stages
of implementing a web shop at TOSM. The promotion and roll out for this
will be undertaken from July onwards.
26 We
will feature our TOSM catalogues for sale online as well as a selection of the
items from our physical store. Over time the web shop will increase our
sales and also make our products more accessible to a wider audience.
27 Lan
Yuan (DCG) sales in the shop are well up on the previous year to
date. There are steady sales of food and beverage and we continue to sell
a wide range of our gift items.
Lan
Yuan
Chinese New Year at
Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden
28 To
support our neuro-diverse community, a relaxed quiet hour was held 5 pm
– 6 pm to allow an opportunity for visitors to experience
February’s Chinese New Year. This inaugural session welcomed invited.
29 First
the first time Lan Yuan (DCG)opened the Garden from 5 pm – 6 pm
for a relaxed celebration of Chinese New Year. Organisers personally invited
individuals and key organisations to join us for a quiet and tranquil
experience of the Garden and included calligraphy with Ming Du in the Tea
House, performances by the Dunedin Tai Chi Club and Chinese Art and Instrument
Association in the Courtyard, tea tastings in the Tea Shop, and a Wishing
Tree in the Courtyard.
30 The
public celebration of Chinese New Year began at 6.30 pm with cultural
performances by a range of community groups showcasing the multicultural talent
in Dunedin. At 7 Pm the Garden opened with gold coin entry and at
7.30 pm the Dragon Parade arrived at Lan Yuan (DCG), followed by official
speeches, the evening culminated with a grand finale at 10 am with
fireworks.
An Evening Viewing
at Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden: Lantern Festival
31 On
the last day of Chinese New Year, Lan Yuan (DCG) celebrated the Lantern
Festival with an evening viewing on 26 February.
32 Cultural
activities and performances were on offer throughout the Garden including lantern
riddles, a zodiac hunt for children, good luck ribbons on the wishing tree,
complimentary traditional Chinese tea, a parade of lights, and performances by
the Dunedin Tai Chi Club, the Dunedin Chinese Cultural Arts Association, and
the Dunedin Art and Instrument Association. This event was attended by 170
people and 30 performers.
OPTIONS
33 There
are no options as this report is for information only.
NEXT STEPS
34 There
are no next steps as this report is for information only.
Signatories
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Author:
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Chris Snow - Operations Manager
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Authoriser:
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Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and
Olveston
Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services
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Attachments
There are no attachments for
this report.
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose of Local Government
This decision
promotes the cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the
future.
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Fit with strategic framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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Economic Development
Strategy
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Environment Strategy
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☒
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Integrated Transport
Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Parks and Recreation
Strategy
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☐
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☐
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Other strategic projects/policies/plans
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The activities in this
report support the Arts and Culture, Economic Development and Social
Wellbeing Strategies.
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Māori Impact Statement
There are no
known impacts for tangata whenua. The Museum consults with and works
with the Ngāi Tahu Advisory Group.
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Sustainability
No implications
although the principles of sustainability under pins all the activity of
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan the Dunedin Chinese Garden.
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LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure
Strategy
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Financial considerations
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Significance
In terms of the
Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy, the matters in this
report are deemed to be of low significance.
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Engagement – external
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Engagement - internal
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.
There are no
legal or health and safety risks related to matters in this report.
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Conflict of Interest
There are no
known conflicts of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no
known specific implications for Community Boards.
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
21 June 2021
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Deaccession Report
Department: Ara Toi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 The
purpose of this report is to seek the Boards endorsement of the
Director’s decision to deaccession a collection item (Land Rover 1956
Series, Accession no 1996/6/1) from the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
collection.
2 The
Land Rover (Accession no 1996/6/1) has been identified for deaccession
following an assessment on its significance, condition, storage, and overall
status within the Toitū collection in accordance with the Toitū
Collections Policy section 11.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Board:
a) Notes and provides advice on the Director’s decision to deaccession the Land Rover
(Accession no 1996/6/1) from
the Toitū collection and dispose of it in
accordance with the Toitū Collections Policy.
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BACKGROUND
3 The
Toitū Collection Management Policy (Policy) was revised in 2020 and
adopted by the Board in February 2021. Section 11 provides revised guidance on
deaccession and disposal of collection items.
DISCUSSION
4 A
report has been prepared by Toitū staff setting out the legal ownership,
history in the collection and an assessment of significance of the Land Rover
(Attachment A).
5 The
report concludes that in accordance with Section 11.1 of the Policy legal
ownership by Toitū has been established.
6 The
report concludes that while the object itself has significance as a local
example of a particular type and generation of firefighting appliance, it is no
longer a good fit with the current Toitū collection and should be
deaccessioned. In accordance with Section 11.4 of the Policy, issues considered
in making this decision include: usefulness to future exhibitions, similar
works in the collection, storage requirements, conservation needs and resources
for maintenance.
7 The
Land Rover will be offered back to the original donor, Aurora Energy
(previously Dunedin Electricity Ltd) in the first instance in accordance with
the terms of the Gift, Section 11.5 of the Policy and Museum best practice
guidelines.
8 The
Dunedin Fire Restoration Society were involved in the process of gifting and
responsible for the original restoration of the Land Rover and have indicated a
strong preference to acquire the Land Rover to their collection. In
preliminary discussions, Aurora has indicated it does not wish the Land Rover
back and we understand are supportive of a transfer of ownership to the
Society. This would enable the object to be restored to working condition
and increase its overall educational value and historical significance. This
final outcome would be the best outcome for Land Rover and meets Section 11.5
of the Policy and best practice guidelines.
9 Since
the expected outcome is that the Dunedin Fire Restoration Society will
ultimately be gifted the Land Rover in order that it can be restored into
working order, it was not considered appropriate or necessary to obtain a
written opinion on the disposal in accordance with Section 11.3 of the Policy.
OPTIONS
10 Not
applicable.
NEXT STEPS
11 The
Land Rover will be initially offered back to the original owner, Aurora Energy.
Signatories
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Author:
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Jane Macknight - Exhibitions and Collections Manager -
Toitu/Lan Yuan
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Authoriser:
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Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and
Olveston
Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services
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Attachments
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Title
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Page
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⇩a
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Deaccession Report
– Land Rover 1956 series, Pete Read, January 2020
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25
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose
of Local Government
This decision promotes the cultural
well-being of communities in the present and for the future.
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Fit with strategic
framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Economic Development Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Environment Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Integrated Transport Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Parks and Recreation Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Other strategic projects/policies/plans
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Māori Impact
Statement
There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.
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Sustainability
There are no implications for sustainability.
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LTP/Annual Plan /
Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy
There are no implications.
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Financial
considerations
There are no financial implications.
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Significance
This report is considered
to be of low significant in terms of the Council’s Significance and
Engagement Policy.
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Engagement –
external
There has been external engagement with Aurora Energy and
the Dunedin Fire Restoration Society.
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Engagement -
internal
There has been engagement within Ara Toi.
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Risks: Legal / Health
and Safety etc.
There are no identified risks.
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Conflict of
Interest
There is no known conflict of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no known implications for Community Boards.
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