An old waka, an Enfield rifle dating back to 1873 and Hinewaka women's hockey trophies are among items offered to Aratoi art and history museum, Masterton, from a South Wairarapa farming family.
The holder of the items being offered, who now lives in Auckland, is the administrator of farm blocks and wants 20 items specified to Aratoi management, and perhaps others, to have an appropriate home.
He said he recognised some of the things he is offering "may be junk" but was giving Aratoi the opportunity of receiving them as gifts.
The identity of the old waka still needed to be confirmed although the donor said he was "almost certain" of it, and Aratoi management is likely to talk to iwi representative Haami Te Whaiti about that and some of the other items, including land court and whakapapa papers "which perhaps should be in the National Archives".
Aratoi is also considering whether some of what is being offered would be better located in museums such as Cobblestones in Greytown or Shears History Museum, Masterton.
