Museum move expected to be made soon

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 49, 20 June 1974, Page 1

Museum move expected to be made soon

Efforts to get a regional museum for ff#mpo are likely to be iienewed soon. reThe Taupo Regional tseum Council, formed r fears ago, went into $C€ess when the fundyaising campaign for the Wharerangi old people's home started. But the secretary, Mr R. K. Ponga, is hoping to round up former members and perhaps arrange a meeting with the Taupo Historical Society. "We would like to meet the historical society with a view to combining our activities," he said. "Then we could have a look at the possibility of acquiring a modest building to display historical material and artifacts. "A centre for this purpose would help promote interest in Taupo's culture and history." Original plans were for a - $134,000 museum and cultural centre on the Taharepa Reserve — a project which caused some ^ " controversy. But before fund-raising could begin, the old people's home appeal was launched and the museum council decided to step into the background until the Wharerangi project was finished. Meanwhile, there has been pressure for something to be done about preserving Taupo's history. The Mayor, Mr C. S.

Currie, earlier this year expressed concern that there was no tangible venue where Taupo people could hand in historic material for posterity. He said he would like to see the borough council provide a pro-tem building — such as an addition to the public library — as a starting point for a museum. Mr Ponga thinks a regional museum is more likely to begin in a modest building than the ambitious centre first planned for Taupo.