Talks, Tours & Handling Collections

Book a talk with our curator Alan Knowles! Alan is an experienced, lively and popular presenter who engages audiences.

Talks available:

Ancient Egypt- A visual tour- colossal pyramids, golden treasures, mysterious hieroglyphs, huge temples, mummies, and fascinating gods are features of Ancient Egyptian culture that have remained an eternal source of fascination for people. Curator Alan Knowles discusses these themes and many others on a visual tour of Ancient Egypt.

Kirikiri/ Ring’s Redoubt- is considered a rare site and is significant both as an individual archaeological site and as part of the interrelated group of sites that make up a heritage landscape relating to the Waikato Campaign of Nga pakanga o Aotearoa / New Zealand Wars.. Alan discusses all aspects of the redoubt including its purpose, function and construction. The talk unveils the many archaeological finds that have been unearthed which sheds light on the daily activities and which are now displayed in Papakura Museum.

The disappearance of the aircraft Aotearoa- The Aotearoa was an aircraft that went missing in 1928 in an attempt to be the first to fly across the Tasman Sea, (Australia to N.Z). Despite numerous sightings of the aircraft, many of them across New Zealand the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination (Trentham racecourse). The aircraft was the first aircraft to be logged on the N.Z missing register and still has been unfound, making it one of NZ's greatest aviation mysteries. If the aircraft were to ever be found be on land, then aviation history would have to be rewritten as to who was the first to fly across the Tasman Sea. The talk discusses all aspects of the story and comes to a conclusion on what happened to the aviators and their aircraft.

Cost- $150- Includes travel to your venue.

Book a tour with our curator Alan Knowles!. This is a great opportunity to have the curator personally guide you through the museum and learn about our many exhibits (including an opportunity to see the storeroom which contains artefacts that rarely see the light of day). Programmes and talks can be personally tailored. Would suit groups of 10 - 15 people.

$5 koha per person.

Contact the Curator if you would like to discuss.

We have two Old Days, Old Ways handling collections available to borrow. Each box contains household objects, tools, clothing, and black & white photographs which represent the experiences and achievements of local European settlers during the early 1900s.

Learning Outcomes for Students include:

• Understanding the way people lived.
• Strengthening a sense of local identity.
• Understanding agents of change.

This handling collection contains a range of different technology and communication devices from the 20th century. Designed to help children understand developments in technology and change over time.

Learning Outcomes for Students include:

• Encouraging curiosity.
• Understanding how technology has changed.
• Thinking outside the box.

This handling collection contains games, toys and some entertainment technology that used to be in common use, but now may be puzzling or unusual to young modern audiences.

Learning Outcomes for Students include:

• Encouraging curiosity and empathy.
• Understanding how children played in the past.
• Considering how analog technology functioned.