Gallery Of History and Woodville Art And History cabinets

Brian Johnson of Tumu Timbers forklifts one of the glass cabinets towards the Dannevirke Gallery of History porch.

Dannevirke Lions, Gallery of History staff, local businesses and friends all came together, on Thursday, March 17, to install two precious gifts into the Gallery of History – not items to be displayed but cabinets in which items could be displayed.

A chance encounter by Bruce Hutton of Woodville Art And History revealed that a business in Wellington, having sold its premises, had four lockable glass cabinets available for free, so long as the recipient paid for their removal.

Manoeuvring the cabinet into place inside the gallery.

He contacted Dannevirke Host Lion Mike Harold, who presented the idea to the Phil Lamason Trust and his Lions club.

Wellington Photographic Suppliers was quickly taken up on its offer after a ring around potential sites for these cabinets revealed Dannevirke Gallery Of History and Woodville Art and History would be delighted to have two each. It was "take four or none".

Dannevirke Gallery of History is still mourning the loss of its female huia bird and is very conscious that security needed to be beefed up and Woodville Art and History said it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

Funding was the next issue – a quote from Crown Removals of $6500 being the best offer. After much discussion, Dannevirke Host Lions offered $2500 plus more if needed up to $5000, the Phil Lamason Trust offered $1000 and the Gallery of History made up the deficit of $3000.

Woodville Art and History, having just launched its new gallery in the old information centre, was understandably short of cash.

Things happened pretty quickly, with Crown Removals carefully removing the cabinets and transporting them north, two dropped off - with local help - at the Woodville Pioneer Museum and the other two at the Gallery of History.

These cabinets – two metres long and almost as high – were not going to fit into the Gallery of History's normal entrances and Hamish Illsley was on hand to take out the porch window and an adjacent door in the main wall, complete with door frame. It was only centimetres to spare.

With the help of Tumu ITM's forklift, each cabinet was brought from storage and manoeuvred carefully into the building, a team of 10 using strops to take the weight and place them on their bases.

Vice-president of the Gallery Of History, Murray Holden, says the gallery is thrilled to acquire these cabinets.

He said the lockable cabinets are great – one will house the precious bird collection including the remaining huia and the other moa bones and fossils.

Kevin McIntyre says the cabinets are located in the central part of the Pioneer Museum and items are being sorted to be displayed.