OTAGO UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 52

OTAGO UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

The more important gifts to the University Museum during the past year were Mr J. W. Murdoch’s collection 'of Maori material from the Otago beaches, and the gifts by the British Museum and Captain H. W. Seton-Karr of material illustrating the Stone Age of Europe and North Africa. A notable addition to the bird gallery is a case of Scottish game birds presented by Miss M'Lean. The princiapl purchase was a set of four wooden Easter Island figures. By exchange the museum acquired a fine series illustrating the basketry of the North American Indians. Museum finances benefited through the generosity of a Dunedin citizen, who remains anonymous, and who has presented to the University 2500 fully paid-up preference shares as an endowment for the Ethnographic Department, The pressing needs of the Museum are said to be: (1) A new wing to replace the present wood and iron one, which is in the last stages of dilapidation. (2) An endowment to render possible systematic work among the children, A small kinematograph, such as is used in some other museums, would add very greatly to the value of the work at present being done for childien. (3) A general endowment fund to render possible the exhibition of the collections in an attractive way and the carrying out of a certain amount of field work.