TIMARU CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21183, 2 November 1938, Page 6

TIMARU CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

Suggestion Offered Museum and Art Gallery Two Sites Mentioned Various cities and towns throughout the Dominion have already taken preliminary steps in regard to erecting fitting permanent memorials to mark the centenary of the colonisation of New Zealand, and the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) has stated that the Government, in deciding on applications for subsidies in respect of memorials, will not adopt an arbitrary attitude, but, at the same time, will give preference to those which combine beauty with some element of community value. In June last, Mr P. Watts Rule made the suggestion that Timaru, as the chief town of South Canterbury, had a great deal of historic associations, and a. suitable South Canterbury centennial memorial should take the form of an historical museum and art gallery. He was of the opinion that the town suffered a very grave cultural loss in the absence of such a building, and he could think of no more suitable commemoration of the first hundred years than a building to house and exhibit the historical records of South Canterbury. In commenting on the proposal to a representative of “The Timaru Herald” yesterday, Mr Rule said that he was strongly of the opinion that an historical museum and art gallery was a reasonable and suitable form of memorial. The work would carry a subsidy of a £ for £3 basis on moneys raised for local centennial celebrations and memorials and, if it were felt that the proposal was too ambitious for South Canterbury, the building could be erected in stages. There could, perhaps, be two galleries, one of which could be completed Immediately, while the other could be built when funds permitted. Nucleus of Collection Mr Rule pointed out that Timaru already possessed the nucleus of a splendid collection of paintings, but, as the Borough Council required the room for the Children’s Library, they were now scattered throughout the Council Chambers, although a number were displayed to the Children’s Room, which was not open to adults, who thus never saw them. During past years numerous gifts of objects of art and so on had been donated, but the majority of them were stored in the cellars, as there was no room in which to display them. Mr Rule, who remarked that he had always been keen on the art gallery proposal, also urged that provision should be made for the preservation of historic records, and for the collection of articles associated with the pioneering days of the Dominion. In the Early Settlers’ Museum in Dunedin there was a magnificent collection of records and portraits and the wide and general collection of objects associated with the early days embraced everything from the first printing press to the first piano imported into Otago. The public generally did not appreciate that fact that the early records and photographs were of considerable value in later years, and he quoted a case where a number of early photographs of Timaru would have been relegated to the washhouse copper had he not rescued those which were of outstanding interest, Mr Rule also referred to an instance where a large quantity of glass photographic plates, comprising a splendid collection of views of Timaru in the pioneer days, and which belonged to an early photographic business, had been ruthlessly dumped at the rubbish tip by the subsequent owner of the business who had failed to appreciate their value. If these plates had not been destroyed a unique collection of photographs would have been available for the benefit of future generations. Two Suitable Sites Mr Rule mentioned that there were two very suitable sites for such a memorial building. One was the site in George street, where the old Foresters’ Hall had been demolished, and where the adjoining building was awaiting demolition, which would make a very suitable town position. An alternative and probably better site would be Maori Park, which would allow the building to be approached by a grove or avenue of memorial trees, which would greatly enhance its appearance, and which would be in accord with the idea suggested by the Minister of Internal Affairs. When discussing with a deputation the question of memorials for the centennial, said Mi - Rule, Mr Parry had suggested that where a centennial memorial took the form of a monument, a museum, an art gallery, a community centre, or a sports ground or play area, it should be surrounded by a park or belt, or be approached by a grove or avenue of memorial trees, natives for preference, which 100 years or more later would be considered a living memorial of what New Zealanders celebrated in 1940. The Minister had intimated that the Government had decided to make available a sum of approximately £150,000 by way of subsidies on a £ for £3 basis on funds raised for local celebrations and memorials. Mr Rule expressed the opinion that once there was an adequate building in which to accommodate paintings and objects of an historic value, residents of South Canterbury would no doubt gladly make gifts to such a collection, but under the present circumstances they felt, in many cases, that they would not be done justice in display and that they would not be adequately housed.

When the proposed historical museum and art gallery was refer-ed to the Mayor, Mr W. G. Tweedy, he stated that he intended to convene a meeting at which the centennial memorial and the form it should take would be thoroughly discussed before a decision was made.