tairawhiti museum and art gallery

I find this problem with a lot of museums - if you go off on a tangent it is often difficult to return to where you were and this place was the same. No charge but would quite happily have made a donation if there was a box available for this purpose.

and see it all read it all its a great place cool aqnd dark and full of amazing lkittle things and stories of the area..see the patu and taiaha and go in the sho thats so cool i koved it i go there every single time i go to gisborne great place to visit

This is a great little provincial museum with a number of smallish gallery spaces allowing it to show a range of collections.The largest, on Maori/European interaction was particularly good but smaller exhibitions of art works from the collection of a local philanthropist and on Bob Marley(!) were also worth a look as was the material related to a local shipwreck. Also some excellent photos throughout including from an early wide format technology. A new gallery just opened outside the main building focuse on pictures of men from the Maori Battalion who went off to foreign fields from WW1 through to Iraq is also well worth visiting. The faces of the many young men displayed seem to speak to us. One small criticism: in the main building (particularly the Maori gallery) the lighting is often very poor and it is sometimes effectively impossible to read the explanatory material. But a minor quibble; if you're a museum person this gallery is well-worth a visit if you find yourself in Gisborne.

It's closed Sunday mornings which was a bit annoying when it's your planned hideaway from the Gisborne heat, but other than that it had a wide display of local history, modern comment and provincial quirkiness. Really enjoyed the Star of Canada section in the back, according to the brochure we missed the old cottage. We really enjoyed the Memorial Hall to C Company- an iwi-driven exhibit next door which is dedicated to the locals in the Maori Battalion. Top class exhibit.

The museum contains some great displays that are very well presented but I didn't leave with a sense of having a real understanding of the history of Tairawhiti.I would have liked to see more detail.

Absolutely loved this small museum in Gisborne. For various reasons but especially because it captures the interactions between Maori and Pakeha as well as respecting the individual contributions of both cultures. At the entrance the presentation of an exquisitely carved Maori whale bone walking stick alongside several beautiful European glass cameos sets the scene. Then the various displays covering pre-European Maori culture and Captain Cook's visits. The story of Te Araroa village on East Cape. It used to be called Kawa Kawa but this got confusing with another Kawa Kawa north of Auckland. A Christian missionary arriving in the town planted a hedgerow next to his front path. the local Maori were so impressed they renamed the town Te Araroa which means path through a garden ! There is also an awesome collection of surfboards

Little museum very pleasant and not so expensive. Well thinking, it’s speak about the story of Gisborne. Interesting artefacts and some contemporary art. The end of the exhibition takes place in a great boat reconstruction.

Really enjoyed our look around this museum, we started with a coffee in the cafe which was delicious. The exhibits and information in the museum were interesting, I appreciate that precious artefacts need low level lighting but a lot of the information was unreadable due to tiny typeface and dark rooms, I did mention this to the lady on reception and she said that lots of people complain about it and she passes on their comments but nothing gets done, so come on curators, sort it out. Another thing that is worth addressing is the lack of a map/information, there were exhibitions in odd places, my husband found some interesting stuff only after walking through an art exhibition and we went in the oldest house in Gisbourne only after seeing that the back door was open.Well worth a visit though.

Definitely worth a visit to understand more about the area. Make sure you visit downstairs too and the art. Good coffee at the cafe too. We went on a Monday and just happened that it is free entry on Mondays.

Spent a good two hours walking round along with a coffee in the cafe a great place to spend an afternoon especially on a Monday as it is Free entry day!

Just over the bridge, convenient and pretty location and interesting snapshot of both maori and European history of the local area.. Well presented.. And something for solos, friends, families, couples... Makes anice change from the beach and shops etc , nice to incorporate as a walk along the river bank, just over the bridge from the town ,...

As visitors, we had to pay $5 entry, but it was worth it. The Art Gallery had several different, but all interesting exhibitions. The museum showed fascinating aspects to life in the Gisborne area over the years. The highlight is the real ship's bridge and captains cabin from a wreck, right of Gisborne's beach. Lunch in the cafe afterwards was delicious - warm roast lamb salad with haloumi.

Visitors to town are charged $5, if you are a local you only pay $2.The art gallery had some lovely work, and the old photos in the stairs in the way to the marine section was a fascinating slice of Gisborne history from the 40's-80's. The highlight is the old ship deck that was converted into a house and was gifted to the museum. It was amazing to imagine living in the place, with hidden sinks in the corridors and a sun deck converted from the steering cabin.The local history section was a little dull. The cafe closes significantly earlier than the museum, so don't wait until the end of your visit if you want a coffee.

A wet day, so off to the local museum. We weren't disappointed. A well laid out display of early Gisborne and a great Art Gallery which was showing a photography exhibition of NZ women. We also enjoyed the coffee in their cafe.

One of the best provincial museums I have visited. They have just completed a large new addition and the café is great.