Preparing Heritage Collection For New Home

Collections staff at the Isel Park Research Facility are in countdown mode with the facility closing to the public on Thursday 2 April in preparation for the move to a new Archives, Research and Collections (ARC) Facility in Richmond.

A consultation process undertaken by Nelson City Council in September saw overwhelming support by residents in favour of the relocation from the current facility which does not meet international conservation standards. Lucinda Jimson, Chief Executive at the Nelson Provincial Museum acknowledges the work ahead of them. “There is quite a bit involved in the process, perhaps more than people imagine. I guess we’ve all packed up all our belongings and moved house before, and it is like that except imagine every single thing you own is precious or fragile and requires careful tracking, packing and handling. And you have 1.5 million items to pack this way, and each one has to be documented and stored correctly as well. There is a lot to do!”

Jimson says that after the public were advised in January of the facility closing, there has been a flurry of research requests and donated items to the museum’s collection. “Our Isel Park staff have been kept very busy. Because of the relocation process, it is unavoidable that there will be a period of time that people can’t access the archives and collections. But the new purpose-built ARC building will offer a much more user-friendly research facility and greatly improved care for our significant collection well into the future. It’s going to be worth the wait.”

Although the ARC is putting a pause on receiving collection objects and research requests from 2nd April until the new facility opens next year, there are comprehensive research resources available online. As a final farewell, the Isel Park research facility is holding an open day for the public on 22 April with free guided tours. Jimson says, “We thought people might be curious to see inside our current collection store, if they haven’t already. Maybe even a chance to say goodbye if they have fond memories of it. We have begun the packing process and look forward to showing the community what is involved in this massive relocation project.”

The projected cost of the purpose built ARC project including packing and relocating of the museum collection and archives is $ 9.8 million dollars. To assist with the relocation costs, the Tasman Bay Heritage Trust is holding a gala dinner fundraiser on Saturday 13 June. Smaller donations and community fundraising activities are welcomed, and there is information about how to get involved on the museum’s website. The Nelson Provincial Museum in Nelson city centre will operate as normal during the period that the archives and collection are being packed and relocated.

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