Raglan Museum is runner up in NZ Museum Awards

On Thursday evening (11th April) Ken Soanes, a Raglan Museum Society committee member, attended the NZ Museum Awards and learned that the  Raglan Museum had been declared runner-up in the Awards.  Entered in the development category, the low-budget modest new Raglan Museum project was nudged out of first place by the extensive $37.5 million redevelopment of Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.

Ken Soanes said, “It was great to receive the certificate and see Raglan Museum getting this level of recognition at the national museum awards”.

The Raglan Museum committee  focused on new and innovative methods of displaying exhibits that relate to the town’s coastal culture, the residents and expected visitors. An important consideration was that the new and contemporary exhibits would involve and provide a stimulus to the community.

The most outstanding achievements of the Raglan Museum Project were:

• The involvement of the community.
• That the community has a museum that is open 7 days per week.
• That the innovation exhibited by all involved has resulted in a facility where valuable and sensitive exhibits can be appropriately displayed.
• The building is attractive addition to Raglan township and has become an important showcase of its culture and history.