Notice of Meeting:
I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board will be held on:
Date: Monday 21 June 2021
Time: 9.30 am
Venue: Otago Settlers Association Board Room, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
Sandy Graham
Chief Executive Officer
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
PUBLIC AGENDA
MEMBERSHIP
Chairperson |
Phil Dowsett |
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Members |
Cr Rachel Elder |
Cr Doug Hall |
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Cr Carmen Houlahan |
Susan Schweigman |
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Peter Smith |
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Senior Officer Cam McCracken, Director - Dpag, Toitū, Lan Yuan and Olveston
Governance Support Officer Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
Governance Support Officer
Telephone: 03 477 4000
rebecca.murray@dcc.govt.nz
Note: Reports and recommendations contained in this agenda are not to be considered as Council policy until adopted.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
ITEM TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1 Apologies 4
2 Confirmation of Agenda 4
3 Declaration of Interest 5
4 Confirmation of Minutes 11
4.1 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting - 22 February 2021 12
Reports
5 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Activity Report 15
6 Deaccession Report 22
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.
Note: Any additions must be approved by resolution with an explanation as to why they cannot be delayed until a future meeting.
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Members are reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arises between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
2. Elected members are reminded to update their register of interests as soon as practicable, including amending the register at this meeting if necessary.
That the Board: a) Notes/Amends if necessary the Elected or Independent Members' Interest Register attached as Attachment A; and b) Confirms/Amends the proposed management plan for Elected or Independent Members' Interests. |
Attachments
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Title |
Page |
⇩a |
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board Register of Interest |
7 |
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting - 22 February 2021
That the Board: a) Confirms the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting held on 22 February 2021 as a correct record.
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Attachments
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Title |
Page |
A⇩ |
Minutes of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting held on 22 February 2021 |
12 |
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
MINUTES
Minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board held in the Otago Settlers Association Board Room, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin on Monday 22 February 2021, commencing at 9.30 am
PRESENT
Chairperson |
Phil Dowsett |
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Members |
Cr Rachel Elder |
Cr Doug Hall |
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Cr Carmen Houlahan |
Susan Schweigman |
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Peter Smith |
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IN ATTENDANCE |
Nick Dixon (Group Manager Ara Toi) and Cam McCracken (Director - Dpag, Toitū, Lan Yuan) |
Governance Support Officer Rebecca Murray
1 Apologies |
There were no apologies.
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2 Confirmation of agenda |
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Moved (Phil Dowsett/Cr Rachel Elder): That the Board:
Confirms the agenda without addition or alteration.
Motion carried |
3 Declarations of interest
Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
Member Peter Smith advised the new name for the Rotary Club of Dunedin North.
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Moved (Phil Dowsett/Cr Doug Hall): That the Board:
a) Amends the Elected or Independent Members' Interest Register; and b) Confirms the proposed management plan for Elected or Independent Members' Interests. Motion carried (TOSM/2021/001) |
4 Confirmation of Minutes
4.1 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting - 5 October 2020 |
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Moved (Phil Dowsett/Cr Doug Hall): That the Board:
Confirms the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting held on 05 October 2020 as a correct record. Motion carried |
Reports
5 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Activity Report |
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The report covered the activities of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden (DCG) as at 31 December 2020 and discusses activities from 1 September 2020. The Group Manager Ara Toi (Nick Dixon) and the Director - Dpag, Toitū, Lan Yuan (Cam McCracken) spoke to the report and responded to members’ questions. |
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Moved (Phil Dowsett/Cr Rachel Elder): That the Board:
a) Notes the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Activity Report for the period 1 September 2020 to 31 December 2020. b) Requests a meeting between senior staff and the Board Chair to explore a possible pathway to provide financial information in future Activity Reports. Motion carried (TOSM/2021/002) |
6 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Collection Management Policy |
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The report provided an update on the Collections Management Policy for Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. The Group Manager Ara Toi (Nick Dixon) and the Director - Dpag, Toitū, Lan Yuan (Cam McCracken) spoke to the report and responded to members’ questions. Members agreed that the amended policy would be forwarded to the Board by 22 March 2021. |
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Moved (Phil Dowsett/Cr Doug Hall): That the Board:
Endorses the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Collections Management Policy with the minor amendments as agreed. Motion carried (TOSM/2021/003) |
The meeting concluded at 11.15 am.
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CHAIRPERSON
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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 21 June 2021 |
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.
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. |
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.
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
Author: |
Chris Snow - Operations Manager |
Authoriser: |
Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and Olveston Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services |
There are no attachments for
this report.
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
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 |
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.
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. |
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
Author: |
Jane Macknight - Exhibitions and Collections Manager - Toitu/Lan Yuan |
Authoriser: |
Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and Olveston Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services |
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Title |
Page |
⇩a |
Deaccession Report – Land Rover 1956 series, Pete Read, January 2020 |
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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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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. |