New Director welcomed at Hamilton's Waikato Museum

Waikato Museum has welcomed Elizabeth Cotton as its new Director of Museum and Arts, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the role as of this week.

Cotton comes from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where she was Head of Planning and Operations. She has previously held roles such as Head of Human History at Tamaki Paenga Hira/Auckland War Memorial Museum and Senior Advisor at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

With a life-long passion for history, Cotton is excited to learn about Waikato’s rich heritage, commenting “history has always fascinated me, and I wanted to work in museums even when I was a little girl. Waikato Museum is a treasure trove – I’m looking forward to finding new and different ways to share our stories and connect communities with their collections and history.”

Cotton (pictured) completed a Master of Arts in Ancient History with Honours from the University of Auckland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies (with Distinction) from Massey University, subsequently becoming a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute. She was previously Co-Chair and Board Member for Museums Aotearoa Board (2018-2021), Chair of the Portage Ceramics Trust Board and is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM ANZ) Committee.

She also has a strong passion for Te Ao Maaori, which she looks forward to bringing to her directorship.

One of Cotton’s career highlights was her involvement in the working group that saw the Te Pahi medal return to New Zealand, an important taonga that had been missing for 200 years. She went to Sydney to collect the cherished medal, following a successful co-purchase bid between Auckland Museum, Te Papa and Te Pahi’s descendants, and bring it back to New Zealand where it is currently on display at Auckland Museum.

Hamilton City Council Unit Director Visitor Destinations, Lee-Ann Jordan said Cotton’s values, knowledge, and vast experience were a perfect fit for the sought-after position, noting “Liz has an incredible understanding of museums and the role they play for communities. Her knowledge and vision stood out through a long and extensive recruitment process.

“We’re thrilled to have Liz join the team and know she’ll bring brilliant insights to the Museum.”

Cotton’s initial focus will be getting to know the Waikato Museum team and the many communities the Museum serves.