Past Exhibitions

December 2018 – February 2019 Ashburton’s ties to the Chinese diaspora run deep, as seen in this exhibition about the Ng King Brothers family, market garden and businesses. Learn the inspiring story of one of Ashburton’s most respected families, the Ng Kings. Discover Ashburton’s Chinese heritage, and how their property on Allens Road grew into…

Ashburton Museum honoured the 125th anniversary of universal women’s suffrage in New Zealand with this inspiring and personal exhibition. Women Power featured the contemporary stories of women working in non-traditional roles in the Ashburton District. We feel deeply about the historic struggle our women endured for the right to vote, this exhibition demonstrates the ongoing…

Bugs, Rust and Dust Bunnies focused on the conservation and preservation of treasures/taonga, in both the museum and home. This exhibition was designed to guide people on the dos and don’ts of preserving precious objects and documents at home, from thinking about air humidity to pest control. Museum-wide activities and a series of workshops were…

Ongoing – an ever changing permanent exhibition. This object-rich exhibition is drawn from our nationally significant collection. It traces the history of the Ashburton region from nature, to taonga, to today. The story of New Zealand’s diverse cultural heritage is woven throughout. Interactive modules provide an engaging way to discover the history, heritage and natural…

From Radio New Zealand, this exhibition explored the history of radio in New Zealand, through Kiwiana radio designs made by Weta Workshop. Audio stations provided the soundtrack to one of our nation’s most fascinating stories. Radio sculptures from Weta Workshop depicted aspects of our beloved Kiwi culture ranged from a quirky caravan radio, the ‘fish…

By far one of our grooviest exhibitions, Meet you at the Radiant Hall told the story of what was once the hottest spots in town, the famous dance hall known as the Radiant Hall. The exhibition spanned the hall’s inception in the 1930s to its demolition in 1996, while focusing on Ashburton’s collective memory of…

This fascinating installation centred on the pioneering photography of Frederick Cooper, a nineteenth century photographer. Hauling heavy photographic material to remote mountain regions, Cooper captured stunning images of the Southern Alps. His photography helped kick-start mountain and glacier tourism by bringing images of the beautiful South Island to people for the first time. Frederick Cooper’s…

Balls, Bullets & Boots: From the Rugby Field to the battlefield, told the unfolding stories of fourteen New Zealand rugby players who went to fight for King and Country in the Great War and one lady coach who inspired generations of players. The exhibition toured from the New Zealand Rugby Museum, Palmerston North. To find…

This exhibition focused on our love of collections. It featured different types of collections and the stories of collectors with a passion for multiples. Thematic collections, such as the cat-themed collection of Adair Pethig, showcased the importance of collecting to people.   To find out more about this exhibit, scroll back on our blog  (link)…