Te Aroha & District museum
Presenting the history of our town and district in ways that recognise and explain our shared past, as the foundation of our future
World War One - 25 April 1915
By Andrea Oosterwijk, Te Aroha Museum
These are the first five deaths of Te Aroha Soldiers, all given the official death date of 25 April 1915, all were privates in the Auckland Infantry Battalion. They are all remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli which stands on the site of the fiercest fighting at Lone Pine and overlooks the whole front line of May 1915. The New Zealanders remembered here are those whose graves are not known. They are also remembered on our war memorial in the centre of our town, Te Aroha.
The recording of missing and dead soldiers at Gallipoli was initially poorly managed, resulting in ...
The Te Aroha and District Museum Society Inc presents the history of the district through thousands of artefacts and extensive displays of historic photos; early Maori relics; gold mining days; early settlers; business and development; the Domain; and the town's rich spa history through which the story of Te Aroha, the district and its people is told.
The Museum's home, for the last 53 years, is the Cadman Bath House sitting splendidly at the top of the Domain and along with the other buildings at its side it forms the only complete Edwardian Domain remaining in New Zealand. The Bath House opened in 1898 and was the first building commissioned especially for tourists - Te Aroha is hailed as "the birth place of tourism in New Zealand".
In 1971 the Te Aroha Mayor Henry Skidmore began the Museum. From humble beginnings the Museum has grown to be a vibrant place of interest and is constantly developing both through extending its collection and methods of display. The Museum is proud to showcase a great number of its artefacts, along with photographs and the stories behind the objects and people of Te Aroha and its surrounding districts.
"Taking the waters" is a wonderful DVD by author Kevin Wells which provides a fascinating history of the spa days and the Domain, narrated by actor Ian Harrop. This DVD will take you on a journey of discovery and is available for viewing at any time at the Museum, it's a great place to start your visit.
COME INSIDE...
Take our full immersion virtual reality tour here and get a flavour of what our Museum is all about.
24% of visitors spent longer than an hour in the Museum. 22% of visitors were from overseas.
(from the Museum's Summer Survey 21 Dec 2023-12 Jan 2024)
WHAT'S NEW?
Volunteers have added to, created and refreshed many displays recently at the Museum, including: the Power display; the Hot Springs; Pioneer Days; Sporting Heroes; Spa History; Honouring our People; our Aviation Story; Waihou Village - and there are more new displays in development.