Coromandel Regional Museums Cluster

Mercury Bay Regional Museum Project Office

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Coromandel Regional Museums Cluster

As the result of the discussions to develop the Mercury Bay Regional Museum, it became apparent that there was a need for the Museums and other heritage operations in the Coromandel Region to work together with regard training, marketing opportunities and specialist skills.

National Services Te Paerangi at Te Papa came on board with funding to enable interested groups to undertake the National Standards programme, and also to make sure that the regions museums also have a structure to continue to move forward in a progressive manner.

The National Standards Programme is a peer reviewed process that allows each museum to look at its own strengths and weaknesses, and then have an independent Peer Review team review and report back on their current status and to offer suggestions for any improvement.

Currently museums involved in this scheme are: Mercury Bay Regional Museum, Coromandel School of Mines and Historical Museum, The Treasury project - Thames, Thames Historical Museum, Thames School of Mines and Mineralogical Museum and Paeroa & Districts Historical Society. They have all been working hard to complete at least 2 modules of the Standards Scheme – with most attempting all 5 modules (a momentous task for mostly volunteer operations). 31st March is their deadline and then over the next few months the Peer Reviewers will do their work.

The Coromandel Regional Museums Cluster meets monthly to undertake skills workshops and look at options and ways to work together on a variety of projects. In addition to the museums currently working on the Standards Scheme, most other major heritage groups are now becoming involved in the cluster, including Waihi Arts Centre and Museum, DOC Hauraki Area Office and the Goldmine Experience in Thames.

Working with the sector is Eddie Morrow in conjunction with Tourism Coromandel and the Hauraki Coromandel Development Group. The Cluster is looking at concepts such as developing a high-tech heritage trail around the region to meet the needs of the ‘interactive traveller’ identified by Tourism NZ as the major growth area in the inbound tourism market.

Small museums nationwide suffer from the lack of resources, volunteers and specialist skills – the cluster group along with the Mercury Bay Regional Museum aims to make the Coromandel Region a centre of excellence for visitors and staff alike.

For further information, quotes or photo opportunities – please contact the individual museum involved, or the MB Regional Museum Project Director, Grant Collie, at the address below.

Mercury Bay Regional Museum
Project Office

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