Names chosen for cultural complex

Press, 29 December 1988, Page 21

Names chosen for cultural complex

PA Wellington The New Zealand cultural complex to be built on the Wellington waterfront has been named. The museum will be known as the Museum of New Zealand — Te Papa Tongarewa (repository of precious things). The new names have been chosen by the museum’s project development board. It accepted the recommendation of its Maori advisory group for the Maori part of the name. The board has also drawn up a draft concept for the museum, which is due to be built by 1996 at a cost of more than $2OO million. It has drawn up these principles for the museum:

® It shall promote harmony and understanding among the people of New Zealand. ® It shall honour the two main cultures of New

Zealand in the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi. © It shall promote an appreciation of the diversity of New Zealand’s cultures and honour their contribution to the continuing growth of the’ nation.

© It shall acknowledge and foster an understanding of the vital importance of the natural environment.

® It shall place emphasis on New Zealand, its place in the Pacific, and in the wider world.

© It shall recognise the importance of objects and collections that are significant in the cultural development of New Zealand and the need for their continuing care. © It shall be a significant resource for learning and enjoyment made accessible to all New Zealanders. • It shall honour the contribution that men and

women make to the development of the nation. It was presented to the board of trustees of the National Art Gallery, National Museum and National War Memorial by the chairman of the museum’s project development board, Sir Wallace Rowling. Sir Wallace told the board the consultative phase of planning for the museum was well advanced.

The project now employed 11 people full-time and two part-time. A key appointment of a training director would be made in the new year, he said.

Sir Wallace said the two part-time workers on architectural and engineering concerns had been asked to gather as much information as they could on the impact of the “greenhouse effect” and its implications for the project.