Otago Physicist To Swim Cook Strait To Protect Aotearoa’s Heritage

Professor David Hutchinson, Professor of Physics at the University of Otago and Board Chair of Tūhura Otago Museum, will attempt one of the world’s toughest open-water swims, the Cook Strait, to highlight the critical importance of museums, history, and protecting New Zealand’s past.

Professor Hutchinson will begin his swim from Wellington during the week of 26 January, taking on the cold, unpredictable waters of the Cook Strait to raise awareness and funds for urgently needed fire sprinkler systems at Tūhura Otago Museum.

It all began when the Museum’s Facilities Manager, Chris Patchett, heard David was an ex-swimmer and invited him to join his Sunday Swim Squad group in the Otago Harbour. Swimming with the group blossomed over a year or so into the plan to take on the Strait swim to highlight the Museum’s plight.

Otago’s exceptionally rich history, particularly during the gold rush era, has resulted in the museum acquiring vast and internationally significant collections. With over 1.5 million collection items, Tūhura Otago Museum holds one of the most nationally significant collections in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our comparatively small regional population, however, means that ratepayer support for the Museum, which is a charitable trust and not owned by the Council, is by necessity modest. The Museum also receives little to no direct central government support, leaving major gaps when it comes to essential infrastructure, capital investment, and collection care.

One of the most urgent needs is the installation of further fire sprinklers to protect the museum’s irreplaceable collections. Despite the risk, there is currently no dedicated funding available for this critical safeguard. Money raised through the swim will go towards the approximately one million dollars needed to complete this essential work.

“Swimming the Cook Strait felt like something I could do to highlight the circumstances in which the Museum Trust finds itself,” says Professor Hutchinson. “Water is both the challenge and the solution. These collections belong not just to Otago, but to all of Aotearoa, and our duty of care for these taoka is paramount.”

Swimming the Cook Strait is considered one of the world’s most demanding open-water swims, with swimmers facing rough and unpredictable seas, strong tidal currents, cold temperatures, high winds, and marine life including sharks and jellyfish. The swim covers approximately 22–26 kilometres, depending on currents, typically starting near Wellington and finishing in the Marlborough Sounds.

Tūhura Otago Museum Director Ian Griffin says the museum is honoured by Professor Hutchison’s commitment.

“We are incredibly grateful to David for taking on this challenge,” says Griffin. “Future-proofing our collections and mitigating risk is one of the biggest challenges museums face. I was also interested to learn that the support boat operates a ‘persistent shark’ policy, allowing a swimmer up to ten minutes in the boat if a shark refuses to move on. We never imagined our Board Chair would have to put on his togs and swim from the North Island to the South Island to highlight the issue, but if it means the rest of us don’t have to, we’re very happy for him to do it.”

While Tūhura Otago Museum works hard to raise around 50 percent of its operating costs through commercial activities such as the Science Centre, Planetarium, venue hire, events, and the museum shop, these revenues cannot cover large-scale capital costs like fire protection infrastructure.

Professor Hutchinson’s swim aims to spark a national conversation about the value of museums, the protection of shared heritage, and the need for sustainable funding models to ensure these taonga are preserved for future generations. He notes that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment does administer a $22 million per annum fund to support Nationally Significant Collections and Databases, but not a cent of that goes to museum collections.

“Whilst it is appropriate for the visitor experience associated with the Museum to be supported locally, it is time we started supporting care of the nationally and internationally significant collection more appropriately. This is a research resource and a treasure for the whole nation, and support for its protection should reflect that.”

Until then, the Museum relies on the generosity of the four contributing territorial authorities (Dunedin City Council and Clutha, Waitaki, and Central Otago District Councils), its hard work through its business units, and, the target of this campaign, charitable donations which can be made through the Museum’s Givealittle.

If he successfully completes the swim, Professor Hutchinson says the thing he is most looking forward to at the end is a well-earned Emerson’s Bird Dog beer from his home city of Dunedin.

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-raise-funds-for-tuhura-fire-sprinkers

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