Coromandel School Of Mines & Historical Museum

Coromandel School Of Mines & Historical Museum Admission - Adults $5 & children 12 yrs under Free with paying adult
Cash or Eftpos

841 Rings Road, Coromandel, 3506

Introducing one of our visitors, Glenn Peebles.After contacting us recently to make sure we could grant his request, Gle...
03/06/2026

Introducing one of our visitors, Glenn Peebles.

After contacting us recently to make sure we could grant his request, Glenn made the 2.5-hour journey from Auckland over King’s Birthday Weekend to visit the museum.

His request was a simple one — to hold the baton that was presented to his great-grandfather, Jim Peebles, when he served as Bandmaster of the Coromandel Silver Band.

We were delighted to be able to make that happen and to help Glenn connect with a special piece of his family’s history.

“Hi I'm Glenn Peebles, great grandson of Jim Peebles who is in the photo of the Coromandel brass band (1912) in the museum. It also has my Great grandmother in it as well and his gifted baton (1915).

I play in my local band from Peria “Soulshine” since 2002 and was delighted to find out about our musical connection and learn about my family history.

Jim had an extensive career from 16 years of age and he was teaching his grandchildren to play the cornet at the 94!

He worked in many places around the Waikato, Warkworth and Auckland and Ive found information on him in 4 different museums!
The biggest thing I have noticed is that all the articles I have read on Jim centre around the sense of community spirit at the time and how it takes the community to make the band, commemorating and celebrating New Year's Eve parties, fundraisers for travel and hardships and other community celebrations.

When I visited the museum I brought my bass guitar to touch base and connect with Jim.
The museum volunteer was very pleasant and collected all the information and items they had on Jim together for a photo. My family have much appreciated seeing this.

I worked out Jim is 1 year apart in age but we are 100 years apart.
The uncanny thing is we've been doing similar activities.
My oldest son Isaac has played the drums since 5 years old and now guitar at 25 years of age. My youngest son Ezra sung in the family band we had when they were small.

Just want to shout out to the museum for the help to do this and what a great looking collection they have and maintained.”

The museum is now closed for the winter season.While our doors may be closed, our volunteers are still busy behind the s...
01/06/2026

The museum is now closed for the winter season.

While our doors may be closed, our volunteers are still busy behind the scenes planning and preparing next year’s exhibitions, carrying out maintenance, and ensuring there’s plenty to see when we reopen.

Although the museum is closed to the general public over winter, group visits can still be arranged by appointment.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for our Community Open Day on Saturday 26 September, with the new season officially beginning on Saturday 3 October.

Thank you for your support throughout the season. We look forward to seeing you again in spring!

Why recruit one volunteer when you can get two? Our mother-and-daughter volunteers brings family teamwork to support the...
31/05/2026

Why recruit one volunteer when you can get two? Our mother-and-daughter volunteers brings family teamwork to support the museum.

Denise Campbell (left)

“I started volunteering for the museum 10 years ago when we moved to the area from the UK. I have always been very interested in history and feel strongly that our community’s stories must be preserved for future generations to learn about.

I enjoy meeting and greeting our visitors and I ‘man the desk’ on Mondays - so pop by and say hello! Visitors always remark that the museum houses a lot of interesting information about Coromandel’s history, industry and culture and the kids love doing the treasure hunt! One of my favourite artefacts in the museum is a hand carved interlocking picture frame, made up from 1200 pieces of Kauri chips, thought to be made by a local bush camp cook.

I have been a committee member for the last 2 years and help to develop new displays and events to keep the visitors’ experience fresh and interesting. I also help with family research for visitors who are wanting to connect with their past.

There are so many opportunities for volunteers to get involved in whatever their interest is: research, events, displays, new exhibits, or lending a hand with general maintenance. No experience necessary—just enthusiasm and a willingness to help.

Steph Campbell-Wilson (right)

“I got involved with the museum thanks to my mum, and I’ve since found plenty of ways to keep busy! From merchandising projects and making items to sell, to helping with exhibitions, setting up the website and Instagram page, and keeping Facebook well supplied with posts—if you’ve noticed a steady stream of museum updates, you know who to blame!” 😊

Although I live in Hamilton, I have a bach in Coromandel Town and have been visiting the area for over 20 years. The town and its history have become very special to me, so volunteering at the museum is a way of giving back to the community.

Volunteering remotely is very manageable and I would encourage anyone who is interested to contact the museum to see how they can help. Even though I live away from Coromandel, there is always something that can be done from afar, whether it’s helping with the website, social media, research, or promotion. It’s a great way to stay involved and support the museum wherever you are.”

Meet our next volunteer, Jennie, whose dedication and hard work have been instrumental in developing the museum into wha...
27/05/2026

Meet our next volunteer, Jennie, whose dedication and hard work have been instrumental in developing the museum into what it is today. From supporting new displays to helping preserve local history, Jennie’s passion and commitment continue to make a lasting difference behind the scenes and for every visitor who walks through our doors.

Jennie James

“My name is Jennie James and before you ask, no, I am not one of the James family from Coromandel. I’m another one who was recruited by Val Macdonald and that was about 15 years ago.

At the time I joined, the museum was getting its first computer with the aim of transferring all the catalogues of items held by the museum from paper onto a database. I started on that job in 2014 and am still doing it all these years later.

I joined the committee early on and am currently the chairperson. As well as the cataloguing, I work on the desk, meeting and greeting our visitors, write the monthly newsletter for members and help with displays.

In my time I have seen major changes at the Museum, including the relocation of the Firlawn House dairy onto our site with tremendous support from the community, the setting up of the merchandising area and the introduction of changing displays often with the co-operation of local community groups.

There is always something new and interesting to discover while sorting through the museum’s artefacts and documents, which reveal the town’s fascinating past.

Most of our volunteers are now in their 70s and 80s so without the help of younger members of the community the Museum’s existence may be limited. We need to preserve our town’s history and we need your help to do it.”

Volunteering at the museum is a way to connect with others, learn new skills, and contribute to the preservation of loca...
23/05/2026

Volunteering at the museum is a way to connect with others, learn new skills, and contribute to the preservation of local history.

Our next volunteer we would like to introduce is Geoff who is instrumental in maintaining this history and keeping Coromandel’s heritage alive and accessible to everyone.

Geoff James

“I retired to Coromandel from Tokoroa in 2008 with my wife Jennie. She has been a museum committee member for much of that time and as I know what’s good for me, I help out when needed to preserve matrimonial harmony!

In all seriousness, volunteering at the museum is great as I get to meet a really cool range of local people with different skills and a vast knowledge of regional history. This also helps me
to feel connected with the area and its past history.

I’m a mechanical engineer by training, having been involved the running of pulp and paper mills in the central north island and Auckland.

I do maintenance work for the museum as and when required but also restore and enhance historic photographs held by them, using AI-based computer software that we have at home.

It’s pretty cool to be able to bring a lifetime’s work experience to support a really valuable local resource, particularly as it’s entirely run by volunteers and receives relatively little official funding.

How about bringing your skills to give us a hand? It can be as much or little time as you’re able to donate and meeting a range of other people is always enjoyable.”

As winter approaches, next week will be our final week open before the museum closes for the season — so it’s your last ...
20/05/2026

As winter approaches, next week will be our final week open before the museum closes for the season — so it’s your last chance to view our special ANZAC display.

We will be open all day over King’s Birthday Weekend on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

The museum will hold a Community Open Day on Saturday 26th September as we celebrate the start of a new season.
Our regular season opens from Saturday 3rd October.

Although the museum closes over winter, group visits are still welcome by appointment throughout the off-season and you can still keep up to date with all the museum news and updates on our website and other social media sites!

Spotlight on our volunteers. The heart of the museum is its volunteers. From welcoming visitors and caring for collectio...
18/05/2026

Spotlight on our volunteers.

The heart of the museum is its volunteers.
From welcoming visitors and caring for collections to researching local history and creating displays, our volunteers help keep the stories of the Coromandel alive for future generations and we are currently looking for more people who can spare a few hours.

Over the next few weeks we would like to introduce a few of our dedicated volunteers. This is a Judy, a long-time member and valued supporter of the museum.

“Judy Bronlund nee Simmonds.
Both my parents were born in Coromandel.
I must admit that I had never visited the museum before Val Macdonald persuaded me to be involved, I am not sure how many years ago that was. When I was in primary school our class did visit the very noisy battery stamper, where Gordon Allington showed us around.

I am on the museum’s committee and we meet monthly. I man the desk on weekend mornings, and I also help putting up the new displays.

I am amazed at the variety of visitors that come to the museum. As well as meeting folk from overseas it is so good to catch up with the folk who used to live here that come to visit.

Occasionally we do get a Coromandel resident coming in to check us out.
It is always interesting to hear visitors commenting on our displays including the child who said that the naughty man was in jail!

We do need to record the history of our town and we can only do that with help from the public. Suitable items for our displays are most welcome.

There are lots of different jobs that volunteers can do, not everyone is asked to man the desk!”

Have you seen our resident Kiwi in the museum? The kiwi is a national taonga (treasure) in Aotearoa New Zealand. This sp...
16/05/2026

Have you seen our resident Kiwi in the museum?

The kiwi is a national taonga (treasure) in Aotearoa New Zealand. This special bird is truly a cultural icon and here are some interesting facts:

• Kiwi birds cannot fly, but they have tiny hidden wings beneath their feathers.

• A kiwi’s egg can weigh up to 20% of the female’s body weight — one of the largest eggs in proportion to body size of any bird in the world.

• Unlike most birds, the kiwi has nostrils at the tip of its beak, helping it sniff out worms and insects underground.

• Kiwi feathers look more like fur than feathers.

• Kiwis are mostly nocturnal and have poor eyesight, relying on smell and hearing instead.

• They have very strong legs and can run surprisingly fast through the forest.

• Some kiwi pairs stay together for life.

• Kiwi bones are heavier than those of flying birds because they do not need lightweight skeletons for flight.

• A kiwi chick can hatch fully feathered and may leave the nest to feed itself within a few days.

Do you know any other special facts about our national bird?

Edit: This photo and dance celebration was to celebrate the occasion that Coromandel Town was connected to New Zealand’s...
06/05/2026

Edit: This photo and dance celebration was to celebrate the occasion that Coromandel Town was connected to New Zealand’s national electricity grid in 1960.
Before that, the town’s electricity was supplied by the Strongman Power Supply, established by Jack Strongman in 1946 and further information on this can be seen in the museum.
Apologies for any confusion and offence that may have been caused.

This is one of our favourite pieces in the museum….

In 1960, the arrival of electricity on the NZ national grid marked a turning point for our community—and what better way to celebrate than with a touch of elegance and creativity?!

A local performance inspired by Swan Lake brought the magic of ballet to Coromandel with new electric lighting brightening the stage.

The dancers were trained by Jean Yates (pictured) and from left to right are Bligh Pickering, Hank Holtom, Merv Kennedy, Alex Yates, Ernie Hart, Jack Berry and Ernie Marmont

Do you remember this performance? Or were you (or a family member) involved?

Research services at Coromandel museum. Have a family mystery to solve or want to learn more about local history? Our sm...
02/05/2026

Research services at Coromandel museum.

Have a family mystery to solve or want to learn more about local history? Our small museum may be able to help.

We welcome enquiries about family history, local people, places, and events connected to our area. With a collection of photographs, records, and historical knowledge, we can often help uncover fascinating stories from the past.

Whether you’re tracing your ancestors or researching the history of the district, get in touch or visit us to see how we can help.

For all details see our website

https://www.coromandel-museum.co.nz/my-research

Address

841 Rings Road
Coromandel
3506

Opening Hours

Monday 1pm - 4pm
Tuesday 1pm - 4pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Thursday 1pm - 4pm
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+64211602351

Website

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