Fascinating objects on display in new museum exhibition

Tūhura Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin (lower left) has selected his choice of interesting and historic objects from the museum's collection, for a special display. Photos: supplied/Otago Museum

Choosing an exhibition of 14 objects from more than 1.5 million diverse items in the Otago Museum's collection was intimidating, its director says.

The Director's Choice exhibition opened this weekend in Tūhura Otago Museum in Ōtepoti-Dunedin, and included artefacts and specimens on display for the first time since the museum opened in 1868.

Director Dr Ian Griffin was asked to curate the items to mark his ten year anniversary at the museum's helm.

"My particular favourite object, because my background is in astronomy - we have on display the oldest telescope in New Zealand, which dates from 1736," he said.

The museum holds the oldest telescope in New Zealand in its collection.

"It was actually made in Scotland by one of the most famous telescope makers on Earth and we actually found out it was the oldest in the country while I've been director, so of course that had to go in."

Other classics he'd chosen were the camera that Sir Edmund Hillary took to the summit of Mount Everest and used there to snap an iconic picture of Tenzing Norgay, and a pair of South Island kōkako birds, which were thought to be extinct.

The exhibition told a story through time and invited viewers to reflect upon human advancement and impact it could have on the natural world, Griffin said.

"In the historic section of the display, we've got material from Pompeii, which was in our collection and hasn't been on display ever in the 150 years the museum's been open," he said.

The camera Sir Edmund Hillary took to the summit of Mount Everest.

"I like to think that there's something for everybody, ranging from both old and new to natural history and coins as well."

Griffin did have to leave some of his top picks out though, because they would not fit in the display case.

"The moa footprints - they're fantastic, beautifully preserved footprints - but way too big to fit in the cases.

"And also a particular favourite of mine, the pintle and gudgeon [fastenings] of HMS Bounty.

A pair of stuffed South Island kōkako featured in the exhibition.

"That was the ship that mutineers took to Pitcairn Island and sank off the island's coast. For a bunch of really interesting historical reasons, we've got that in our collection," he said.

"But again it was too big to fit in the case!"

The exhibition will run for the next six months in the museum's stairwell and can also be viewed online.

By Niva Chittock