Recent Acquisitions


Research Library & Archives Repository: Thanks to the generosity of a local donor, we have just added 20 new books to our library collections - which now numbers over 100 books on Otautau & Districts, Southland and general history. Some of these are too old and fragile to be handled, so these ones will be copied and the copies placed in folders for public viewing. We also now have a full index.
Accessions # 2018.13.1 - 2018.13.20
























Contact us to view these above reference works or any others in our Collections, on either, Email: collections.otautaumuseum@gmail.com or Phone: 027-211-4675

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Military Collection - RSA; Card, Commemorative  
                                               
Accession # 2017.17
Otautau Branch - Returned Services Association:
Your President and Executive extend the Season's Greetings to All Members and invite you, your wife, children and friends to the Annual Picnic to be held at Holt Park, Otautau, on Saturday, 7th January, 1950, at 1 p.m. Hot Water, Milk, Tea and Sugar Provided. J. D. Mouat, President.  W. R. Ayson, Secretary.

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Collection of Otautau Pipe Band Uniform Items and Club Archives:

Accession # 2017.4








Kindly gifted by prior band member Joe Guise, this collection includes some of the following interesting items and came with a bequeath and request for the Otautau Museum Trust to put together some kind of memorial for the Otautau Pipe Band:


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Collection of Central Western Cricket Club Archives and Uniform Items:

from during their 1970s and 1980's heyday...

Accession # 2016.33

Gifted by John Hills; Collection of Scrap Books labelled as belonging to "P Hills" (Scorer), assorted uniform and photos:







Collection of Central Western Cricket News Articles collated into Scrapbooks covering the years 1974-5, 1975-6, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1987-88.

Collection includes Team Photo of Central-Western Cricket Club Senior Team 1979-80, as shown above.

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Family History Collection - Laurie Family

Accession # 2016.32
Mr James Nelson Laurie, born 1879, died c1959 at age 80. Married Olive Moffat of Orawia in 1909. James was a caretaker at Holt Park later in life, and the father of Harry Laurie, who had a carrying business in Otautau all his life, until retiring.







We also have an existing item from the Laurie family in our collection, which can be seen in detail on our new eHive site:
#2009.10.1 Harry Laurie's fleet of Trucks

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Fireman Uniform
Accession # 2015.11
A heavy dark coat with 3 metal clasps, helmet, pants and boots, and a fire hose draped over shoulder.
Fireman's uniform 2015.11














This donation of a fireman's uniform features a helmet, boots, leggings, and coat. It's a symbol of the dedication it takes to be a volunteer fireman in a rural community like ours.


Glass Photos
Accession # 2015.10
A wooden church with steep green roof. St Joseph's Catholic Church, yellowish
St Joseph's Catholic Church
2015.10.1
A flooded area with buildings in the background. Otautau N.Z. in time of flood, 1913.
Otautau in 1906 flood.
2015.10.2















Two very interesting glass photos: one of St Joseph's Catholic Church before its expansion; and the other is Otautau in the 1906 flood taken from Hulme Street. National Mortage building in foreground and a view across the now fire station section.


Horse Gear
Accession # 2015.9

Leather saddle, harnesses and other horse gear.
Horse gear, 2015.9















This donation includes horse saddles and harnesses; also a butter churn [image to come].


J E Wright's Fire
Accession # 2015.8
black and white photo of J E Wright, Otautau
J E Wright, 2015.8.1
An article and photos from newspaper on the fire at J E Wright's building, Otautau, 1965.
Newsclipping on J E Wright's building,
1965, 2015.8.3















Photocopies relating to J.E. Wright and the fire in his storeroom on Main Street, 1965. Includes photocopies of newspaper clipping, business flyer, J.E. Wright portrait, airplane and crew, pictures of the building with smoldering smoke, taken from a distance.


Seatter Family
Accession # 2015.7
A self-published booklet on the emigration of the Seatter and Rendall families.
Seatter and Rendall family
history book, 2015.7















A copy of Emigration of Seatters and Rendalls 1861-1925, a family history by Gordon Seatter. Also a gas street lamp was donated. [image to come]


Otautau Basketball 
Accession # 2015.6
Otautau basketball team, 9 women seated and standing, 1953
Otautau Basketball team, 1953
2015.6.1
Nine men posing for a photograph Otautau
Otautau Gentlemen, 2015.6.9













A collection of nine photographs featuring the Otautau Basketball Club 1953, a male debutante ball, and an Otautau School staff photo from 1970. Also glass negatives. Another valuable contribution to our collection.


Camera and Scales
Accession # 2015.5
A classic set of metal weight scales for domestic use only.
Old weight scale, 2015.5.1
A classic Praktica film camera with leather case and strap.
Praktica camera, 1970s, 2015.5.2
















A set of scales and weights, and a 35mm slr Praktica super TL camera, lenses and accessories from the 1970s.


Laing Family Collection
Accession # 2015.4
large hard bound family bible, Henry and Evelyn Laing, Otautau Museum
Laing Family Bible, 2015.4.1
silver teaspoon, family dates, Henry and Evelyn Laing, Otautau Museum
Laing Family silver spoon with
important family dates, 2015.4.4











We are privileged to add the Laing Family Collection to our catalog. The Laings came to Otautau in 1921 from Dunedin. Henry Laing and Joseph Knighton took over the bakery business of Charles Hinchliff that year. In 1925, Joseph left Otautau, and Henry ran the business successfully for many years. Also in this collection are a moustache cup, plaster cast of boy's foot, and an engraved silver spoon with important family dates.


Otautau Floods
Accession # 2015.3
a colour photograph of brown waters flooding Otautau's Main St 1984
Otautau flood, Main St
National Bank, WestPac Trust Bank
OK Milk Bar, 2015.3.1.1
Brown flood waters on Otautau's Main Street, BNZ and drapery buildings
Otautau 1984 flood, Main St
BNZ Bank (right), drapery (left)













Great snap shots from the '78 and '84 floods - both very memorable events here. We now add these to our collection: eight photographs of the 1978 flood; and 13 photographs of the 1984 flood.


Cheese Wrapper
Accession # 2015.2
A framed cheese wrapper with graphics and labels Otautau Co-op Dairy Factory
Otautau Co-op Dairy Factory
cheese wrapper, 2015.2














We are grateful for this donation from the Wyndham and District Historical Museum: a framed cheese wrapper from the Otautau Co-op Dairy Factory.


Helmet and Goggles
Accession # 2015.1
A soft leather aviator helmet with chin strap.
Aviation helmet, 2015.1.1
Aviator goggles with leather strap.
Aviation goggles, 2015.1.2















A very unique addition to our collection: a leather aviator helmet and goggles. They came with the purchase of a 1926 motorbike by the donor.

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