FAQs

You can support Hokitika Museum in many ways — by making a donation, gifting objects to the collection, volunteering your time, or contributing to grants and special projects. Find out more here.

A museum cares for items of cultural value on behalf of the community – but not every object can be on display at the same time. Some items are held primarily for their research value, while others – such as common household objects like irons – are simply too numerous to exhibit all at once.

Certain objects, like textiles, are very sensitive to light and can only be displayed for short periods to protect them from damage. And some pieces remain in storage until further research is completed, ensuring their stories can be shared in a meaningful and engaging way.

Hokitika Museum’s collection is rich and varied, including rare books, photographs, cameras, maps, birds, and textiles. Among its many treasures are objects of national significance – such as Cook’s cloth, a piece of fabric gifted by Captain Cook to the King of Tonga and later presented to Premier Richard Seddon.

Some individual items are highly valuable – for example, the Meccano Dredge alone is valued at $6,500 – and collectively the collection has a market value of around $1.6 million. It's true worth, however, lies in the stories it tells and the deep connection it provides to the history and identity of our community.

Our photograph collection holds around 35,000 items – and it’s still growing. Through our ongoing Photograph Digitisation Programme, we carefully scan historic images to archival standards, ensuring they are both preserved and accessible for future generations.

Because our storage space is limited, we carefully consider what we add to the collection. Our Collections Policy outlines what we collect and helps us make thoughtful, sustainable decisions.

We generally can’t accept objects we already hold in large numbers — unless they have a special story or strong connection to the West Coast community. We also can’t take items that are badly damaged or infested, as we need to protect the rest of the collection from harm.

Hokitika Museum is a community service operated by the Westland District Council. Entry is just $10, helping us care for the collection and share West Coast stories with visitors.

To keep Te Tai the Research Centre open and sustainable, we ask users to contribute toward the costs of the research services we provide. Your support helps us continue making our collections accessible to everyone.

Our Donor Guide explains everything you need to know about gifting an item to the Museum.

If you think your item might be of interest, please complete our Gifting Items Proposal Form or get in touch with our team members to discuss your potential donation.

Phone: 03- 7556898

Email: enquiries@hokitikamuseum.nz 

Probably the most challenging object is the stagecoach – it’s simply too big to fit through the Museum’s doors! It lives up at the Westland Industrial Heritage Park up near the Hokitika Airport. 

Hokitika Museum’s collection also includes two boats, the Countess and the Merewether, which are stored offsite due to their size.

If your ancestors lived in this area, there is a good chance we hold information about them in our records. Our resources include electoral rolls, rate books, school records, cemetery records, obituaries and many other tools for tracing family histories - you might be surprised by what you discover!

Start your search today by competing our Research Services Enquiry form.

One of the golden rules of caring for a museum collection is to avoid unnecessary handling of artefacts — every touch can cause damage over time.

We wear gloves when handling objects because the natural oils and sweat on our hands contain acids that can degrade surfaces. Dirt or residue can also contaminate objects. Materials like wood, metal, textiles, paper, and photographs are all particularly vulnerable and can suffer lasting damage if handled with bare hands.