SCOPE OF WORK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 5

SCOPE OF WORK.

THE CANTERBURY MUSEUM.

DEPUTATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL.

To place the proposals for the extension of the Canterbury Museum before the members, Messrs A. E. Flower (chairman of the Canterbury University College Council), and R. A. Falla (Director of the Museum), waited on the Ashburton County Council this afternoon.

Air Flower said the object of the visit was to lay before the Council something of the work of the Museum, which was established 75 years ago, and had existed since on the returns from small endowment lands. No appeals had been made to the public for funds, and the Christchurch City Council had only last year seen lit to make a grant to the funds. Because of lack of space many exhibits that should he in the place were going to Wellington .

Mr Falla outlined the scope of the Museum’;S activities, and said that the first essential was that of the preservation of objects of all kinds, giving the geological facts, the animal, insect and plant life, while diagrams of the life of the province graphically depicted the progress of the people. Anyone could ask questions 1 regarding their own districts on a great variety of subjects, and this was done without fee. Visitors to the Museum, were about 2000 a week, not counting school children. A full-time teacher looked after the children, 800 of whom went to the Museum every week. Even moving pictures were, shown to them. This morning 05 pupils from the Ashburton Technical High School were being short in over the premises. Loan collections were sent to any part of Canterbury at times. There was a Centennial scheme of extensions to the buildings. No money had ever gone to the Museum from Government sources. Mr Flower said that because the Museum had not been ,so keen to help itself in the past it had lost a Carnegie grant of £20,000. A sum of a little over £2200 would .be -available for all purposes next year. He paid a tributeto the energy the staff was putting into the work. Tile Museum should be a centre of culture and could be made so with a little help from the Province.

Mr F Erampton said it was interesting to hear of the work that was Being done on such a small income. The Educational Department should be approached for some help. Mr Flower said he thought such an approach had been made in the past. It was extraordinarily difficult to get Government grants, except for the Dominion Museum, in Wellington.