Museum numbers up ...and rising

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 34, 14 February 1984, Page 1

Museum numbers up ...and rising

The Queen Elizabeth II Army Museum at Waiouru Jfeyed another. bumper ^PPjn of visitors over this summer's school-holiday period. Between the beginning of December 1983 and the end of January 1984 more than 30,000 visitors were recorded compared with 27,000 over the same period last summer. The Museum had extended its hours by 30 minutes at each end during this period — from 9.30am to 5pm — instead of the normal opening times of 10am to 4.30pm, to cope with the expected increase in numbers and the longer summer evenings. There has been a steady increase — about 10%-15% — in the number of people visiting the Museum since the new extension was opened on 23 July last year, said Captain John McLeod from Wellington last week.

"We expect to have a total of between 120,000 and 125,000 visitors through by the end of this financial year compared with about 1 10,000 last year," said Captain McLeod who was speaking for the Museum's director, Major Gordon Stevenson, at present on leave. Captain McLeod said that a major new exhibition was being planned at the Waiouru Army Museum to replace the Cecil Beaton photographs which have been on display since the extension was opened. The theme of the new exhibition — the Gallipoli Campaign — was "the most significant of it's kind on this subject" and it would be officially opened to coincide with the long Anzac Day weekend in April. More details will be published in the Bulletin when they are received.