MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 156, 28 March 1939, Page 13

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Centennial Proposal PRESERVING VALUABLE records' The suggestion that, in view of the approaching centennial of New Zealand. something should be done to form a permanent record of the Dominion's achievements in science and engineering, fields beyond the scope of natural history museums, is made in an editorial in the latest issue of the “New Zealand Electrical Journal.

“It is only necessary to reflect briefly on the growth of science and engineering to realize the magnitude of the advances made during the past hundred years.” says Ihe journal. “lu the utilization of steam power, compare the crude boilers and reciprocating engines of 1840 with the great steam generators and turbines now installed in modern liners and power bouses. Tile century, the closing of which we are about to celebrate, has witnessed the entire development of the production and utilization of electricity which followed Faraday’s discovery of the magneto-electric induction of currents in 1831. “Again, it lias to be remembered that though the first public supply of electricity in the whole world was commenced at Brighton England, in 1882, at least one town in New Zealand bad a supply available seven years later—--1889. in view of the development in every field of science and engineering recorded during this country s first hundred years of progress, and taking into consideration the outstanding utilization of its water power, it is surely not too early to consider the establishment of a National Science and Engineering Museum, . “From time to time there have been suggestions that steps should be taken to ascertain the amount of old equipment available In the Dominion and worthy of being preserved for educational purposes. Recently Mr. M. Gable, president of the Electric Supply Authority Engineers’ Association, expressed the view that an effort should be made to commence collecting early types of electrical equipment, and stated that if a suitable collection could be assembled in time he would endeavour to see whether space could be found in the electrical court at the Centennial Exhibition for it.

“Though it is doubtful whether there will be sufficient time to bring equipment together and prepare it for display at the exhibition, it is felt tha_t an effort should be launched during this centennial year to assemble appropriate equipment as the nucleus of a national collection following the lines of the Smithsonian Institute iu Washington, U.S.A., and the South Kensington Science Museum in London. The latter, according to its charter, was founded with the following aims:—-

‘To provide a means for preserving for the nation original and historical apparatus, and by means of an informative display of objects, diagrams and photographs to illustrate the development which has already taken place from past to modern practice.’ “So remarkable has been the development in the equipment used for the generation and utilization of electricity that many of those now employed in the industry are quite unaware of the primitive type of instruments and equipment used by the pioneer operators. In addition to the primitive equipment referred to, it is knowu that there are many valuable and interesting scientific relics, as. for instance, some of the late Lord Rutherford’s original apparatus, which would foe valuable for education purposes if available for public inspection.