Treaty House in running for national museum award

The Treaty House garden and setting are part of the exhibition. Photo / Supplied

Waitangi Treaty Grounds is in the running for a national museum award for an exhibition in the historic Treaty House.

The pictorial and multi-media exhibition depicting the life of the Treaty House, its early occupants and their role in the development of the Treaty of Waitangi is a finalist in the 2018 New Zealand Museum Awards' Exhibition Excellence – Social History (Service IQ) category.

The Treaty House exhibition features several themed rooms in the house, depicting it much as it was in 1834 when it was the first British Residency in New Zealand and doubled as James Busby's office.

Two rooms are dedicated to the Busby family's story and what life must have been like for James, wife Agnes and their children.

The parlour, where the finishing touches were made to the Treaty of Waitangi, explores Busby's influence on the English version and his final touches to Reverend Henry Williams' Māori version.

An audio visual experience encourages visitors to think about the momentous events that took place in the room and to take in the view outside the house — and visualise the scene leading up to the meeting with northern chiefs on February 5, 1840, followed by the first signing of the Treaty the following day.

One of the Treaty House displays. Photo/Lloyd Macomber

Installed in October by leading New Zealand design company Workshop e, the exhibition includes displays of objects, large images and a multi-layered digital media approach that caters to all audiences.

The Treaty House exhibition is part of an ongoing programme of development at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to enhance visitors' experience at New Zealand's most important historic site.

This is the second time Waitangi Treaty Grounds has been a finalist in the NZ Museum Awards; in 2016 Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi won the award for Best Museum Project.

Chief executive Greg McManus is thrilled the current exhibition is a finalist in the prestigious awards.

"It is recognition of all the hard work by so many people in bringing the new exhibition to reality and we are delighted to be a finalist once again,'' McManus said.

''The Treaty House is central to our identity at Waitangi and the new exhibition has been extremely well received by visitors."

The 2018 award winners will be announced on May 20 during Museums Aotearoa's 2018 conference in Christchurch which will be attended by more than 300 museum professionals from around the world.