Pahīatua Museum marks 45 years

Gilda McKnight, in the room set up for the rugby display, would love to see the Pahīatua museum go on for another 45 years, and more. Photo / Leanne Warr

It was 1977 when a group of Pahīatua residents decided they needed a place to hold pieces of the town’s history.

So a public meeting was called, to be held at Tararua College.

Now, 45 years later, the Pahīatua Museum is still the place to be for those wanting to know a bit about Pahīatua’s past.

Gilda McKnight, who is president of the current five-member committee, is often the person called on to help any visitors to the museum, whether it’s just to connect with a part of their own family’s history or to conduct research.

She says it was a woman named Marge Bentley who felt Pahīatua needed a museum where all the district’s history could be deposited.

“There was no museum until they started thinking about it in 1977,” Gilda says, reflecting on the fact that a lot of small towns don’t have museums.

The public meeting resulted in 82 paying members, who called for donations.

“They were just inundated,” Gilda says. “It was just amazing, really, the response they got from it.”

She says the members were very fortunate as they had people with skills to support the committee, such as plumbers and electricians.

Getting a location for the museum proved to be just as fortunate, as the villa on Sedcole Street became available.

“It was last owned by Mrs Howell, who used the house as a boarding house for young ladies,” Gilda says.

When the owner moved into a rest home, the committee were able to secure a lease and the museum was officially opened on October 7, 1978.

Opening day in 1978.

The villa did need some TLC, especially the veranda, which was in a “pretty decayed state”, but with the help of a few skilled tradespeople, the committee were able to fix it up.

Eventually, they fundraised and bought the house from Mrs Howell’s estate.

Now the museum is filled with memorabilia from times past, with each item having a story of its own to tell.

While Gilda is keen to ensure the museum is known for more than just its connection to the Polish children, in 2017, a room was set up to tell the story of the Pahīatua camp and the role it played in New Zealand history.

The committee is in the midst of considering a few events over the next year, including Scottish poet Robbie Burns and marking the 80th anniversary of the Polish children.

The museum currently has a display of some of Pahīatua’s rugby greats, which will be available until the end of October.

In the meantime, Gilda hopes to get some younger members to join the committee and help keep the museum going for at least the next 45 years.

Anyone interested in lending a hand can contact the museum via emailing: pahīatuamuseum@gmail.com.

Leanne Warr is editor of the Bush Telegraph and has been a journalist on and off since 1996 when she joined the Levin Chronicle, before moving on to other publications. She re-joined NZME in June 2021.