AUCKLAND INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5194, 5 June 1876, Page 2

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM.

Thj-)E two institutions, though now indisolubly united, weie at one time totally distinct. Of the two the Museum is by some 1 A years the senior. As this evening tho fine nevr building in winch for the future they will live side by side, and mutually assist one another, is to be formally opened, it will not be out of pi ice to siy a few words, a-, to their pist history. Twenty four years ago, almost to a day, the hist steps were taken towuds forming a local museum. Tho hist contribution tecorded to have been made to the embiyo institution was a gift of fivo glass cases, containing stuffed native bh ds The date of thi^ donation was the 3rd July, 18T2, and the donor was Mr. "W. G-iimths. The museum of this period was of a, very unpietemlmsj charactei, foi then was its " day ot bin \\l things."' Its habitation was a small four-roomed cottige in Giafton Road, near the junction of the road with Syinonds btieet, opposite wheie the Choi.il Hall now stands. The Museum stood a little back from the road. This building belonged to his Excellency Lieutenant - Governor Wynyard, C.B., and had pieviously been occupied by his faim servants. Not only did his Excellency thus provide a lodging for the Museum, but he also consented to become its patron. His Honor oui present Superintendent, Sii George Grey. was another foster paient, and took the greatest interest in the welfaieof the bantling. The looms of the Museum weie entered from one another, and were not, it may fairly be supposed, remarkably spacious ; but, small as they were, the collection of exhibits for a long time did not inteifere with the boarding arrangements of an employe of the Piovincial Government, who, for taking cire of the building, was allowed the pmilegc of lining in it flee of rent. Tho hist honoiaiy seciefcaiy was Mr. J. A. Smith. The expendituie at this time was kept within limits of the strictest economy. As we have soon, the curator had no salary ; but this gives but a very inadequate idea of the absence of anything appioaching reckless expenditure, which charactei ised the "management " of the period. In the hit of donations are to be found such item* as the following, all duly credited to the munificent donors:— "A window-blind,"' " aix tin dishes," "one large and four small white saucers. " No wonder, then, that at the end of the year the expenses averaged but a fraction over £1 ls.tid. per month. The opening of the Museum to the public does not appear to have been attended with any demonstration. The minute-book simply notifies the fact that the public were admitted for the fhst time on the 24th October, 1852. Then, as in later times, the doors were open only on two days in the weeks— Wednesday and Saturday,— from 10 to 4 o clock. At the end of the ye\r, the following were the statistics of the Museum •— Number of contributors, 108 ; of contributions, 173 ; of articles contributed (counting no doubt the blind, tin dishes, and white saucers afoiesaid) 1,934 ; of visitors 70^ ; of cnculars sent out, 80 ; of articles lent, .). It may here be mentioned, that in the adveitisement notifying the fact of the publio being admissible, and the objects for which tho Museum was established, the tiUbtees state that "anv memento ot Ciptaiu Cook or his voyages will be th..n';fullj accepted." T lie tiustees for the ye.ir 1S>4 we;e W. F. Portei, E->q., J. Williamson, Esi, , u.d J. T. J}o>lai>, Esq. Following Mr. GiifKths as contnbutou were Mi. F. Whitaker, on August 2Jth, 1812, "a collection of 45 mmuials made from Kawau and other localities in New Zealand." On the same day, Mr. Fredeiick Septimus Peppercorn, and John Ale zander .Smith, gave collections similar in number and ehaiactsr. Within a week Mi. G. M. Mitford contribute 1 17 minerals fiom Wangarei, and Luutenant-Goveruoi- Wynyard cuuosities from Fiji and Now Zealand. On No.ember .inV tli j contribution of ''sand with gold fioin Coiomandel Haibour" is acknowledged fiom Mr. J. Larnder. On December 2nd, " lignite from the Watchmin, river Whyteiuata'' (ate), and, on the 16th, samples of wool were sent in by Mr. Baber. On Febmaiy 10, 1853, the first nuggets of gold were sent from Coromandel. It will be evident from the above-mentioned entries that considerable interest was felt by some one or more, and tliere was a fair prospect of a, really interesting a id instiuctivc Museum being established. One who particularly distinguished himself by Ins efforts for the vrelfaie of the Museum, wm Dr. Sinclair (for some time Colonial Secretary, befoie responsible government wm established, and f ither to Mr. A. Sinclair, the chief of tho W.ukito Land Survey Office), after whose de ith it languished for some time, and many of the specimens of liatunil hutory were spoiled tliiough neglect. In 1S59, however, a now life was nivon to it by Dr. Hochstetter, who besides con f nbuting a number of exhibits which lie had collectel in v.uioiu parts of tho world, undertook and accomplished a thorough rertovarion of the establishment. After this gentle:u m's depaiture fioin the colony, the Museum again gradually deoliued, until its state became «or»e than ever. The Provincial Government then took the matter in hand and employed Captain Hutton to resuscitate it. At the same time, 1867, - the Museum was lemoved from its original habitat to the Provincial Government Offices, now the Not them Club. Here, in a large room, the collection was re ai ranged, and restored to something like a presentable apnearanoe. On November 6, of this same year, 1867, the Auckland Institute whs established, beijiuning with two nioie than a scoie of members. At tho end of the following yeai, 1S0S, the Government consented to an amalgamation of the Institute with the Museum, and in ab -nt a twelvemonth, thiough the influence everted by Mr. Justice Gillies, who will to-day take so pioininent n position iu the opening ceremony, weio induced to grant the site at the coiner of Princes-stieet and Eden Oiescnt with the buildings upon it, which had previously been the Auckland Geueial Post-offko. Tho number uf members \\,\<i novr iiigica-<ciI to ib»ut ISO. Though this gift from the Government was a considerablo oho, considering tho position of the allotment, the buildings weie nothing to boast of. They are descnb-d in tho innual report as being "in a thoroughly dilapidated stxte, past the possibility of lep-iir. ' A pioposition appeal-, in the same leport for the piomotion of a building fund for the erection of a stiuetuie which should "include a museum, a lectuie theatre, a laboratory, a class room, a library, looms for the curator. &c." The buildup which is to be opened 10-iiylit b\ his Excellency the (Juvernoi will < s o fir to wauls leilising the wishes of the. pioniotei-. of this building fund. Vs the piesent stiuctuie ocuupie-. only a po:cion of the site luten led to bo devoted to the Institute, the completion of the scheme is still quite piauticable and -vith assistance, which Government can hardly fail to giant now, on the principle that " the gods help those who help theinseh es," should be in the immediate future The cost of what has been done is \bout £4,000, which amount his been raised paitly by \oluntaiy contiibutions and partly by mortgaging the building, nothing h.ivint; been given by Government. The Provincial Government granted annually £100 towaids the maintenance of the Museum fiom 1Sj5, the thst gi int being received in Fobiuaiy of thai year. Iu 1M71 the Provincial Government lequiied riom the tiustees a stitement of the manner in nhu.li they intended to expend the annual giant. The reply of the tiustees was, '" £45 for fuoks foi a free hbraiy, £10 for a special collection of grasses and foiest pi m tsai ringed for tho .ise of country settlei *, and £45 fora collection of liuneiaR" We cannot close this notices with a inoio appiopuate exposition of the useful" •-.* of the Aucklind Museum and Institute, which how has on its roll the names of 2W members,