Marlborough District Council ceases management of Marlborough Museum

New Zealand's Marlborough District Council has ceased management of Marlborough Museum and Brayshaw Heritage Park – handing over the front door keys of the Museum to the Marlborough Historical Society.

According to RNZ, earlier this month, the Marlborough District Council locked the main doors to the museum and held on to the keys. In response, the Society - which the Council handed management of the museum to after long-term plan deliberations - wrapped a padlock around the museum door handles to stop council staff from entering the museum.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said that while it was a difficult decision to cease management, it will allow Council to lead a change of direction for the heritage sector in Marlborough. Council staff will operate under a new Heritage Marlborough brand, and focus on supporting heritage organisations across the region.

Mayor Taylor advised “Council has a professional and capable heritage management team who can assist our other regional volunteer museums and societies with collection and project management, staff and volunteer resourcing, archive management and promotion. These local museums are the guardians of much of Marlborough’s heritage and their volunteers are the keepers of our stories. It will be pleasing to be able to offer them more of our support.”

“Council has been trying to negotiate in good faith with the current Marlborough Historical Society representatives to secure a lease or ownership of the Marlborough Museum building since 2023, however, those attempts have been unsuccessful.

“Negotiations have been difficult because each time Council has met with the MHS representatives, their demands have changed. We are not sure they have kept their members accurately informed, and I am concerned at the way they may have misrepresented Council’s offers and actions to their members.”

Despite investment by Council over the past year, the building does not meet museum standards. MHS’s representatives resisted a suggestion to have the building valued professionally; asking the Council for $5 million for the building.

“Council cannot invest ratepayer money based on unrealistic pricing or out of touch expectations,” Mayor Taylor added.

Councillors agreed to a one year operating grant of $40,000 for 2024/25 to the MHS and declined their offer to purchase the museum building.

“Council has quite simply reached the point where trust has been lost and we can no longer work with the current society representatives.”

Looking forward, Marlborough District Council is excited about its new direction with Heritage Marlborough, which would include a major digitisation effort.