It's hoped a new permanent exhibition at Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga will represent all the district's inhabitants and mark the move away from "the image of a European-centric settlers' museum".
The new Taonga Māori Gallery, created in full consultation with Ngati Maru iwi, will open this Saturday, July 2. A blessing will be held at 6am followed by the official opening at 9.30am where all are welcome.
"This has been one of the museum's ambitions for many years, and actively under preparation since the beginning of 2021," says museum chairwoman Carolyn McKenzie.
A wide range of taonga will be on display in a bilingual gallery, including pieces relating to agriculture and fishing and a model of a fortified pā.
Carolyn says they had a "desire to represent all the inhabitants of our district rather than only tell the story of the arrival of James Cook and the history of the goldfields ... to move away from the image of a European-centric settlers' museum".