Akaroa Museum

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.

05/02/2026

It was with deep sadness we heard news this week of the passing of one of our team members, Nigel Harrison.

Since March last year Nigel has been working at the Museum, assisting on the front desk welcoming visitors. The role brought him full circle back to Akaroa Museum, as 60 years ago he spent a lot of time in the Museum with his mother, Daphne Harrison, who was then curator at the Museum; she gave him pocket money for polishing the glass cases.

Nigel’s enthusiasm for local history and collectables and the easy connections he made with visitors meant the Museum job was a perfect fit.

Outside the Museum, Nigel was Deputy Chair of the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board, a role with responsibilities he took very seriously. The community and its well-being were always front of mind for Nigel. As a member of the Community Board he sat on the Akaroa Museum Advisory Committee, part of the Museum's governance structure.

He was also on the committee of the Friends of Akaroa Museum and organised the annual Antiques Fair, an important fund-raiser for the Museum.

His involvement with a large number of organisations in Akaroa means that we won’t be the only ones missing him, but he had a special bond with the Museum that we will always remember with gratitude and fondness. Our sympathy goes out to his whānau. RIP

13/01/2026

The Akaroa wharf photograph competition closes 31 Jan.
Prizes to the value of $2,750:
• Open competition professional – first prize $750, second prize $250
• Open competition amateur – first prize $750, second prize $250
• Junior competition (school-age contestants) – first prize $350, second prize $150
• People’s Choice prize – $250

Information and entries: https://akaroa.com/akaroa-wharf-photo-competition-2025/

11/11/2025

On 12 November 1918, at about 9:20 am, George Armstrong, Mayor of Akaroa, received this telegram from Prime Minister Massey: "Armistice with Germany signed". A more official, longer telegram, followed. Mayor Armstrong had lost two sons in the War, one at the beginning of September. Bells were rung for an hour and a crowd gathered outside the Akaroa Post Office to hear that finally, the war was over. Akaroa photographer Jessie Buckland was on hand to photograph the occasion.

This telegram is part of the recently acquired Armstrong Family Archive. It includes correspondence received from Vern and Lincoln Armstrong, the Mayors deceased sons. Transcriptions of these letters are available on our website: https://www.akaroamuseum.org.nz/collections/biographical-and-assorted/the-first-world-war
They are also being added to our online collections database:
https://akaroamuseum.pastperfectonline.com/archive/472222C0-B9FE-4355-9623-584874051932

02/11/2025

ON NOW! Akaroa District Promotions and Akaroa Museum with sponsor HEB Construction present....