Akaroa Museum

21/07/2026

Some nice coverage from RNZ to celebrate The Akaroa Mail's 150th birthday:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2019044192/akaroa-mail-marks-150-years-in-print

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/755677/community-newspaper-the-akaroa-mail-celebrates-150-years

Newspapers in New Zealand and around the world are under increasing pressure with many businesses facing restructures, going digital or closing all together but a free newspaper on Banks Peninsula is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

17/07/2026

Q: What’s black and white and read all over? A: The Akaroa Mail. Open from Friday 17 July 2026...

06/07/2026

Last day for the exhibition Tides & Time: Akaroa Wharf 1888-2026 is 12 July, the Sunday of Matariki weekend.

29/03/2026

We'd like to congratulate the ten other finalists in the Akaroa Wharf Photo Competition:

Doreen Machnick
Helen Newman
Jasmine Hanrahan
Magdeline Huang
Shelley Hambridge
Kerry Megaw
Niamh Rowley
Insa Notzon
Emeline Veneau (the only entrant to have two photos in the top twenty)
Callum McInnes

(Photographer's name in comments section of each photo)

22/03/2026

The highly anticipated results to the Akaroa Wharf Photo Competition:

Maelys Mathieu, Junior, First Prize
Finley Tims, Junior, Runner Up

Gavin Martin, Professional, First Prize
Martin London, Professional, Runner Up
Sarah Perrins, Professional, Highly Commended

Anne Leary, Amateur, First Prize
Rafal Bagrowski, Amateur, Runner Up
Guy Tichborne, Amateur, Highly Commended
Emeline Veneau, Amateur, Highly Commended
Nils Tschamke, Amateur, Highly Commended

Emeline Veneau, People’s Choice Award

18/03/2026

Friday 20 March 2026 is the last day for you to vote in the People's Choice Award in the Akaroa Wharf Photo Competition. Pick your favourite and vote! Open 10:30 am to 4:30 pm daily.

25/02/2026

Dr Salene Schloffel-Armstrong was a visiting researcher to the Museum last year. This blog post for Bioprotection Aotearoa introduces the thrust of her research, and is appreciative of our staff(!):

Throughout my life, I have always been interested in history. In my previous work researching public services in Aotearoa, I focused on interrogating the processes and practices that occurred in...

20/02/2026

We were sad to hear that Donald J. McKay, originally from Le Bons Bay, passed away in Christchurch this week. Don was an important photographer, documenting the people of Bank Peninsula and chronicling life here and in the wider region during the 1950s-60s.

In 2017 Don gifted his negatives from this period to the Museum, a quantity of c.40,000 frames! With the passage of time these pictures have gained great historical value, aided by his exemplary record-keeping. But his photographs are more than records: sometimes humorous, always a warm observer, they convey a deep interest in people and their lives at that moment. Click!

Don has lived in Christchurch since the early ‘60s where he rebooted his career as a medical photographer, but he continued to do commercial work, later including video also.

For the Museum, it is hard to look past the rich legacy of his photographs which feature in exhibitions and the recent book A Rural Life in Black and White. On a personal level he was very easy-going, friendly, helpful, unfailingly polite, and extremely modest about his photographs becoming somewhat embarrassed in the face of praise.

Our deepest sympathy to Denyse, Judith, Elizabeth, Stuart, Patricia, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

15/02/2026

Open from Saturday 21 February 2026 and with the opportunity to vote for your favourite photograph from the wharf photography competition.

10/02/2026

The exhibition A Rural Life... has its last day on Sunday 15 February 2026. But good news! The book is still available.