I’m currently in New Zealand doing a road trip that sees me
visiting DIY museums on the west coast of both the north and south islands. I
arrived in Manaia, North Island, after a somewhat harrowing journey driving the
Forgotten World Highway
– 150km stretch of tight winding road complete with fallen tree and boulder hazards, unsealed
stretches, and a one lane pitch black dirt tunnel. By the time I arrived at the
Taranaki Country Music Hall of Fame my nerves were a little frayed!
The Taranaki Country Music Hall of Fame
is a country music museum and entertainment venue privately owned by Helen and Ian Braithwaite.
The Braithwaite’s purchased the museum in 2002 from the founder, Pam Willing
who had opened the museum in 1992.
At the heart of the museum’s collection are over 400
photographs of country music musicians from New Zealand and abroad (mainly
Australia and the USA). As the Hall’s brochure states, the museum will “bring[] you face to face with the Country
Music legends of our time”. Framed photographs cover the walls. Other forms
of memorabilia on display include posters, instruments, t-shirts as well as household
and agricultural items not directly related to country music but which, as the
brochure states, “bring back memories of the good ol’ days singing around the
piano”.
As an entertainment venue, the Braithwaite’s hold music
evenings every Thursday as well as a music showcase on the second Saturday of
every month. They are both keen musicians and enjoy performing for visitors.
After my interview I was delighted to hear them perform ‘Teen Angel’.
This is the first privately owned museum I have visited as
part of this project and it is a very different beast from the other
places of my research to-date which are all run collectively by a group of
enthusiasts. The collection is also very different, with the display being
dominated by photographs. As such it will raise some interesting questions, I’m
sure; questions that will develop as I make visits to two more privately owned
museums this trip. The next on my list is KD’s Elvis Presley Museum which is situated just down the coast road from the Taranaki Country Music Hall
of Fame in the town of Hawera.
