GIFTS FOR MUSEUM

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 541, 19 December 1928, Page 9

GIFTS FOR MUSEUM

LONG, VARIED LIST SOME VALUABLE ADDITIONS ‘.This is a much more than ordinary occasion,” said Mr. H. E. Vaile, president of the council of the Auckland Institute and Museum when the report of the curator was placed before yesterday’s meeting:. He referred to the enumeration of important grifts made to the museum during the past month. No fewer than 35 grifts of special merit have been received. “It shows that citizens are beginning to display active appreciation of the new building now that it is nearing completion,” added Mr. Vaile. “It is to be hoped that more will follow the example. “Many people have valuable relics knocking about their homes and many of these are lost by fire and theft or simply carelessness. If they were presented to the museum they could be widely appreciated and properly classified.” Among the new exhibits are several choice additions to the Vaile collection. One article, a most unusual canoe prow, is the most important individual addition since the Kaitaia

carving was discovered, seven years ago. Mr. Vaile’s gift includes a stern post, three spades Ko, and two exceptionally long poles of unwnown use, found with the prow. Other additions made by Mr. Vaile are very old carved bone mallet, an example of the curious black stone objects, so-called “cotton-reels” of unknown use, and a choice collection of bird snares and selected stone adzes.

A Maori collection made many years ago by the late Dr. Kinder lias been presented by his son, Mr. Harry Kinder, of Arney Road. It includes some old carvings, three old god-sticks, and mats, cloaks, meres and other bone and wooden implements and weapons. The Kinder collection also includes many articles from the Solomon Islands.

Another Maori collection is the gift of Mr. E. P. Vailed and comprises all types of beach-station implements, including a number of stone bowling disks, peculiar in New Zealand to the Bay of Plenty. It includes pumice figures. The Hon. Mr. W. Stewart, M.L.C., has presented several Maori articles, including one of the rare rei-puta> a pendant made from a sperm whale tooth, and green-stone chisels and pendants. Mr. Colin C. Biernacki has presented a large greenstone hei tiki , formerly the property of a chief in the Waikato district.

Mr. A. T. Pyeroft has presented greenstone adzes and a greenstone pendant. Mr. Tutu Wana of Northcote has presented a fine old hoeroa , a whale bone throwing weapon. Mr. R. Orborn has presented a heavy stone sinker with carved top and other Maori articles presented are an old wooden comb (Miss L. M. Cranwell), a wooden fern-root beater (Mr. A.

Turner), a heavy stone sinker (C. E. Smith), a Maori skull (Mr. Leonard Brown). Mr. W. Blomfield, of Takapuna has presented a small greenstone needle, a collection of Maori adzes, and a series of spears and clubs from the Pacific Islands. Mr. F. T. Goodhue, of Kaitaia, has forwarded a collection of very beautiful greenstone pendants, tikis , a pekapeka , and adzes, and of bone ornaments. The Pacific Island collection at the Museum has received an important addition in the form of a rare carved human figure from the Easter Island which has been presented by Mr. J. Edge-Partington, of Beaconsfield, England. Mr. R. J. Lusher has presented two model canoes from Niue Island, a book of New Zealand ferns, and a collection of natural history specimens. Mr. Basil Woods, of Devonport, has presented a series of old Persian and other Eastern coins collected by him in Persia and the Caucasas. Mrs. A. "Waters, of Devonport, has given a pair of the two tokens issued by Edward Waters, a well-known merchant in Auckland. Miss A. B. Vaile. Mr. A. T. Pyeroft and Mr. H. E. Vaile have presented nests and eggs of native birds. A large collection of New Zealand and foreign shells has been presented by Miss Levis, of Waitakere. Mr. E. T. Frost, of Tuakau and Mr. A. Clapham, of Whangarei, have given samples of the elvers of the New Zealand fresh water eels; and Mr. Charles E. "Watkins, of Albany, Western Australia, has presented a collection cf minerals and semi-precious stones from 1 the Star Emerald Mine of "Western Australia. A set of samples of borings from i

1,500 ft. at the Thames Goldfield, have been presented by Mr. J. A. Pond, fishhook shanks from Te Hapuna, by Te Paraha, a stone adze by Mr. James Hughes, a boomerang and a dancing rattle, by Mr. George Graham; a fine collection of spears, bows and arrows, by Mr. I>. W. Kedman, of Epsom, and an old wooden bowl by Mr. A. McKinnon, of Rotowaro. On the motion of Mr. A. T. Pyeroft, a vote of thanks to Mr. Vaile for his addition to his gifts was passed.