Canterbury Museum | |
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Canterbury Museum in 2004
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General information | |
Type | Museum |
Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
Location | Christchurch, New Zealand |
Address | Rolleston Avenue |
Completed | 1882 |
Inaugurated | 1870 (first part of building) |
Renovated | mid 1990s |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Benjamin Mountfort |
Designated | 25 September 1986 |
Reference no. | 290 |
The Canterbury Museum is a museum located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand in the city's Cultural Precinct. The museum was established in 1867 with Julius von Haast - whose collection formed its core - as its first director. The building is registered as a "Historic Place - Category I " by Heritage New Zealand.
The title curator and director has been used interchangeably during the history of Canterbury Museum. Von Haast was the museum's inaugural director; Haast died in 1887. Following Haast's death, Frederick Wollaston Hutton was acting director until Henry Ogg Forbes took on a permanent position in December 1888 upon his return from England. In August 1892, Forbes permanently moved to England, and Hutton was appointed full director from May 1892 until October 1905. Hutton applied for leave to travel to England, and Charles Chilton was acting director from March 1905; Hutton died on his return journey from England and Chilton retained his acting role until April 1906, when Edgar Ravenswood Waite received a permanent appointment. Waite was director for eight years until March 1914, when he took the equivalent role at the South Australian Museum.
Robert Speight, who had already been acting director in 1911, was appointed as Waite's successor in March 1914. Speight retired from this role in November 1935. Speight was succeeded by two acting directors who worked alongside one another; the geologist Robert Sutcliffe Allan, and the zoologist Edgar Percival. They were succeeded by Robert Falla, who commenced his role on 1 March 1937 and who was director until 1947, when he accepted the same position at the Dominion Museum in Wellington. Walter Reginald Brock Oliver was acting director from November 1947 to September 1948. Roger Duff, who had been acting director on several occasions during Falla's tenure prior to Oliver, succeeded Falla as director from September 1948 until his sudden death on 30 October 1978. John Crum Wilson succeeded Duff as acting director from October 1978 to February 1979, and then as full director until February 1983. The archaeologist Michael Malthus Trotter succeeded him as director from March 1983 to December 1995. Stephen Phillips had an interim position from January to March 1996 until the current director, Anthony Wright, was appointed in March 1996.