Wellington Museums Trust Annual Report 2006

THE YEAR’S
HIGHLIGHTS
Museum doubles in size
NEW INITIATIVES
The project to extend the Wellington Cable Car Museum
and to restore and display another historic cable car
was completed on time and within budget, with the
building extension officially opened on 5 December (the
museum’s fifth birthday) by Mayor Kerry Prendergast and
supported by Minister of Tourism Hon. Damien O’Connor.
The two storey extension has doubled the size of the
museum and houses the restored Grip Car 3, improved
audiovisual facilities and information on the surrounding
area, recognising the museum’s key location at the top
of the cable car route and at the upper entrance to the
Wellington Botanic Garden.
The Wellington Cable Car Museum welcomed its millionth
visitor in April and remains very popular with tourists
(international tourists make up 70% of its visitor
numbers). It has attracted more repeat visits from
Wellingtonians since the extension was completed.
The museum (through the trust chief executive) and
Wellington City Council officers have been instrumental
in the development of the Cable Car Precinct Group,
which is comprised of neighbouring attractions that will
work together to promote the upgrade of the precinct as
one of the city’s premier tourist sites.
Minister of Tourism Hon. Damien O’Connor and Wellington Mayor
Kerry Prendergast at the official opening of the Wellington Cable
Car Museum extension in December | Photo by Mark Coote
Manoeuvring the restored Grip Car 3 into the new museum
extension | Photo by Mark Coote
Developing partnerships
The Museum of Wellington City & Sea has been working
closely with Wellington Waterfront Limited on the
cultural and recreational opportunities for enhancement
of the waterfront. It also developed strong ties with the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa during its
collaboration on Innocents Abroad, an exhibition that
draws on a significant aspect of Te Papa’s photography
collection. The museum was selected as an exemplar for
a resource on volunteers produced by Te Papa National
Services Te Paerangi.
City Gallery Wellington also further strengthened its links
with Te Papa, mounting an exhibition of contemporary
New Zealand artworks from the museum’s collections titled
Small World, Big Town: Contemporary Art from Te Papa.
From left: Wellington Museums Trust chief executive John Gilberthorpe,
communications adviser Ann Cunninghame and Wellington Cable Car
Museum manager Emmanuel Makarios receiving the museum’s tourism
award | Photo courtesy of Tourism Industry Association New Zealand
Michael Stevenson’s This is the Trekka, from the exhibition Small World,
Big Town: Contemporary Art from Te Papa
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