Long term Future of Marlborough Museum

BACKGROUND

The Marlborough Museum at Brayshaw Heritage Park is the principal Museum of the District. It is a registered archives repository and holds most of the artefacts, documents, books, photographs, films, letters and maps that record the history of this province.

The Museum opened in 1990, built and operated by its owners, the Marlborough Historical Society. From 2016 it was operated by the now defunct Marlborough Heritage Trust and from 2023 for one year by staff from the Marlborough District Council. The latter arrangement was terminated on 30 June 2024 and the Museum is now again operated by its owners, the Marlborough Historical Society.

Until July 2024 most of the Museum operating budget was provided by Marlborough District Council. The annual amount varied but by 2023 had increased to some $400,000 per year.  This was provided as part of the Arts Culture and Heritage Budget of each Annual Plan up to and including the 2023-24 year.

For the current 2024-25 year this sum was diverted to a newly created Heritage Marlborough group within Council. The principal focus of this group is the Edwin Fox Ship and Museum, now owned by Council.

In the same year the Marlborough Museum and Archives has been operated on a limited basis by the volunteer members of the Historical Society, owner of the building and collections within. To date they have been supported by a $10,000 grant from Council, with a further $30,000 offered, subject to conditions.

This is clearly a temporary and unsustainable arrangement. The principal museum of the Marlborough Province cannot operate staffed by volunteers on a budget which approximates just 10 percent that of previous years.

It cannot operate without the support and financial resources of the body with a formal responsibility for the Arts, Culture and Heritage of the region - Marlborough District Council.

It also cannot operate without the cooperation, integration and institutional knowledge of its builders and owners – the Marlborough Historical Society.

SUBMISSION

We therefore respectfully ask that the 2025 – 2026 Annual Plan make provision for –

1. An operational expenditure budget adequate to allow the Marlborough Museum to operate as in previous years. That is - open to the community every day, host to regular heritage events and managed by a combination of professional and volunteer staff;
2. The cost of a professional feasibility study and business plan to determine the strategies and budgets necessary to ensure the long term survival and development of Marlborough Museum;
3. Development of a sustainable governance arrangement for Marlborough Museum which recognises the mutually dependent roles of Council and Society in preserving our unique heritage assets;
4. A Capital Expenditure budget which provides a pathway to eventual Council ownership of the Museum building and appropriate compensation for the Society.

The Society notes that a common museums arrangement in many other parts of Aotearoa New Zealand is that the buildings are owned and maintained by the local Council, whilst the governance and operation is managed by a separate body.  We believe that this is also an appropriate arrangement for Marlborough Museum, and wish to work in partnership with Council to develop a similar model for the long-term sustainability of this invaluable heritage asset.

           President                     Vice-President                         Patron                           Treasurer

  Trevor Jane         Warren Johnson         Rien Wagenvoort         John Walsh        Dale Hulburt

     Committee           Committee                   Committee                Committee           Committee    

The Marlborough Museum and Archives is currently operated on a limited basis by the volunteer members of the Historical Society, owner of the building and collections within. To date this year they have been supported by a $10,000 grant from Council, with a further $30,000 offered, subject to conditions.

This is clearly a temporary and unsustainable arrangement. The principal museum of the Marlborough Province cannot operate staffed by volunteers on a budget which approximates just 10 percent that of previous years.

The Museum cannot operate without the support and financial resources of the body with a formal responsibility for the Arts, Culture and Heritage of the region - Marlborough District Council.

It also cannot operate without the cooperation, integration and institutional knowledge of its builders and owners – the Marlborough Historical Society.

Heritage is the Memory of the Community. Much of Marlborough's heritage is contained within the Marlborough Museum and other buildings of the Marlboroiugh Historical Society.  Present support for the Society from Marlborough District Council is manifestly inadequate to preserve that heritage for present and future generations. The Memory of the Community needs - and deserves - far more.