NORTH SHORE HISTORY: WITH DAVID VERRAN
Devonport Museum, the first twenty years
By David Verran
Devonport Museum opened in 1980, but the grounds still needed to be landscaped, an enormous task, with topsoil and planting mix brought in. Muriel Fisher, a wellknown Birkenhead landscape gardener, and historian, designed and helped create a garden featuring ferns, native plants and trees, along with alpine plants. Rocks were collected from the old quarry to build walls and steps, and labour was provided by employment schemes managed by both the Salvation Army and weekend periodic detention workers. The gardens were formally opened on 22 November 1981, but much more work was necessary. Periodic detention Courtesy of Devonport Museum, this shows the church building just before it was divided up. The part that is now the and unemployment schemes Museum can be seen on the left. provided a labour force over the years and today the gardens are still being maintained and complete medicine cabinet to the museum. This included bottles added to. and containers, with some dating back to the 1930s. Sarah Scully Entrance was free from the beginning, to encourage school was employed under a government work scheme and developed pupils to come to the museum. The museum started with opening displays featuring local schools, boat-building and the Takapuna on both Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4pm. The venue has Jockey Club. Heritage walks, featuring in particular North Head and been used for festival events and even weddings. Keith Baildon, heritage Devonport were also featured. Tony Packington Hall was as President in the late 1980s, specialised in these events and also involved in gathering together Māori adzes found in the local ensured a large turnout. We should note the thousands of area. volunteer hours spent by many people over the years. From August 1996 the museum was closed for a time for a Collections received during this period included the Mary revamp of the displays. At the same time, the indexing of the 122 Mouat 50,000 item shell collection. Mary had died in 1958 and Devonport Borough Council scrapbooks was completed and copies her son Dick presented the conchology collection to Devonport made available at the museum, Devonport Library and North Museum in specially made wooden cabinets. In May 1987 the Shore City Council archives. At an open day in May 1997, visited museum’s Victorian room, with clothing and heritage artifacts was by around 250 visitors, retired architect Warren Wilcox’s diorama inaugurated. of pre-settlement Devonport was revealed. The diorama had taken The amalgamation of Devonport Borough into North Shore around 150 hours to create. City Council on 1 November 1989 raised some concern over the Previously the museum had been reliant on those employed by ownership of the land upon which the museum sat, but this was work schemes and ever-present volunteers. In 1996 Rod Cornelius soon addressed. There were 200 in attendance at the museum’s took early retirement from his television career, which enabled tenth birthday party in 1990, with work on the mezzanine soon to him to spend more time on digitisation at the museum and writing take place. his ‘Ramblings’ columns for the ‘Devonport Flagstaff’. In June 1997 The mezzanine gallery was to add an additional 42 square Olwen Morgan was appointed as a paid curator for the museum metres to the area of the museum and cost around $10,000. and in May 1998 the museum was selected by Te Papa as a pilot for That was financed in part from a Devonport Borough Council setting museum standards across Aotearoa New Zealand. In 1998 grant. The museum had to be closed during construction but was appreciation was paid to long time committee member Felicity re-opened on 1 December 1990 after six months. The mezzanine Smith (1945-2005) who had served in various capacities over the itself was 1.8 metres wide and initially the mezzanine was used as a time of the museum, along with her husband Tom. gallery for the display of museum photographs. In the late 1990s, the museum received $11,660 from the ASB There was later a sprinkler system installed and the addition of Trust and $250 from the Devonport Community Board for funding both the office, storage and rear gallery. the computer-based Inmagic indexing system for its database Devonport Museum records show that in February 1991 there of photographs and other items at the museum, allowing ready were 51 visitors, in March and April 78 in total, 80 in May and 75 in location of items, as well as better storage and preservation. By June, making a total in that six-month period of 302 adult visitors. 2000, over 2,000 photographs had been scanned and the museum In March 1991 there were also 130 financial members. A call for began compiling a database of the histories of Devonport families.. volunteers was most successful. Also in 1993, brothers Peter and Paul Newberry donated a david.verran@xtra.co.nz
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Issue 127 - February 2022 www.channelmag.co.nz
