Maori Rock Art Centre planned for Timaru will enrich Timaru
residents' knowledge of the Maori culture, Ngai Tahu Maori
Rock Art Charitable Trust curator Amanda Symon says.
It was reported last week that Timaru District Holdings Ltd
(TDHL) would invest $280,000 in Te Ana Whakairo, the company
set up to construct and run the Maori Rock Art Centre.
TDHL's financial support for the Maori Rock Art Centre relied
on the Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Charitable Trust finding a
further $800,000 of funding.
The centre, expected to cost $2.6 million, will be built in
the Timaru Landing Service building.
Speaking to The Courier, Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Charitable
Trust curator Amanda Symon said Timaru was at present "quite
limited" when it came to places people could learn about
Maori culture.
"It will be a good place people can go and learn about it.
It's accessible to everyone.
"They can meet Ngai Tahu people working there and get their
story first-hand."
Rock art from the South Island would be displayed at the
centre, some of which would hopefully come from museums in
Auckland, Dunedin and Wanganui, where they had large Maori
rock art collections, Ms Symon said.
"There will be actual pieces of rock art removed from
rock-art work sites. We are also looking at loaning pieces of
rock art from museums, but it's still a work in process. We
have to identify what pieces we want and get approval from
the museums to have them."
The centre will teach people about Maori rock art in a
variety of ways, such as through short documentaries,
life-size and 3D animations and holograms and audio-visual
materials.
"It won't just be a static experience," Ms Symon said.
In 2004 the Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Charitable Trust came up
with the idea of building a Maori Rock Art Centre in Timaru.
Over the past five years, the trust has been doing market
research, planning the centre and fundraising.
"There has been a huge amount of work done. For $2.6 million
- it takes a long time to raise that kind of money."
The centre would make the Timaru Maori community very proud,
Ms Symon said.
"Maori have been creating rock art since they settled here
around a thousand years ago, so there will be a huge sense of
pride and ownership for them. They will be proud to have a
positive and successful Maori-driven business somewhere that
tells their story."
Ms Symon expected the centre would attract many visitors
interested in the history of Maori culture in Canterbury.
"They will learn more about Ngai Tahu - its past culture and
contemporary culture.
"I'd imagine there will be great interest from schools. We've
had a lot of inquiries about Maori rock art, as rock art is
part of the art and Maori culture segments of the
curriculum."
South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce president Steve Lyttle
believed the proposed Maori Rock Art Centre would positively
affect local tourism.
"My understanding is that it will be an interactive display,
so visitors will be able to really feel the experience.
"South Canterbury has a significant number of rock drawings
in the area, so it is very appropriate that the centre is
based here."
If an application for $650,000 made to the Lotteries
Commission's significant community projects fund is
successful, the centre will open in late 2010.
Ms Symon believed the trust was "very likely" to get the
extra funding.
"We are negotiating with a few parties, but I would rather
not name them," she said.
- Cerisse Denhardt.
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