With all the buzz around King Charles III Coronation on Saturday, Methven Museum have been frantically busy collecting and organising royal items for their display.
The main focus of the display has been the connection to Methven and surrounding areas.
Kath Woodley is a volunteer for the museum and, along with a few others giving up their time, they have made the Coronation themed display possible. Mostly through word of mouth she has successfully reached out to the wider community, asking for any royal related items, anyone might have, which they would be happy to loan for the display.
The response has been tremendous and, by the looks of things, Kath’s main problem has been trying to fit them all in the museum. She has received countless items from all sorts of people, young and old. Items from avid collectors, to stuff that has been passed down through the generations, right up to the sorts of gems people have found when they cleared out the attic.
The museum is now filled with such an array of royal collectables, ranging from coins, programmes, posters, stamps, medals and plates to name but a few. Artefacts dating back to the turn of the 20th century right up to the present can all be seen on display.
Among viewing the many pieces of memorabilia, people are welcome to have a photo taken while sat in a mock up throne, dressed in a huge cloak and wearing a crown.
Kath Woodley has been amazed by the community support she has received on this particular project and has thoroughly enjoyed being consumed by all things royal in New Zealand.
“It’s staggering for such a relatively small population of Methven to have so many items connected to the Royal family. The generosity from the public has been amazing, I could never have expected to have so many items and so
many different stories to display”.
Kath has received great support from the Ashburton Museum and has worked long and hard to research anything that Methven had done in the past for the Coronation. She has so far found some interesting leads from a sub Coronation committee minutes, suggesting there were plans to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.
However, none of the proclaimed celebratory gestures such as the planting of trees and even
the renaming of Methven’s South Belt to Queens Drive, came to fruition.
Kath is now on the hunt to find the answers, in what has been a very intriguing exercise for her.
There will be a celebratory tea party on the actual day of King Charles III Coronation at the museum, for which they are now fully booked.
For anyone not attending, the Methven Museum welcomes all to come take a look at the marvellous royal display on Tuesdays and Fridays, between 2pm and 4pm.
They will be running the special display until July 26.
Kath will be present on the open days of the museum to share her wealth of knowledge and answer any questions.
