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HISTORY
with HEART
WELCOME TO
THE ASHBURTON
MUSEUM
Dig into the past...and discover what created your future. Engage in educational experiences and uncover the cultural and social heritage of Mid Canterbury and Aotearoa.
What's On
Explore our exhibitions and activity programmes.
Memorials Walking Tour | Lunchtime Special
To celebrate our exhibition In Plain Site: Memorials and their stories, join us for a special lunchtime walking tour exploring some of the historic memorial sites featured in…
Opening | Documenting our Heritage
Join us for the opening and awards ceremony for our new exhibition, Documenting our Heritage: Mid & South Canterbury. Over the summer, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga’s photo…
Artist Workshop | Botanical Watercolour with Julia Holderness
Join us for a special workshop with artist Julia Holderness! Learn some watercolour painting techniques, and then have the chance to paint a botanical study or image. Julia…
Artist Talk | Julia Holderness
At this artist talk, Julia will discuss her new show Botanical Correspondents: Crossing Time with Emily Harris and Julia Holderness. Emily Harris (1837-1925) is best-known for painting the indigenous…
Heritage Talk | Brothers in Arms
Join us for an interesting ANZAC Day talk by Social History Curator Louisa Hormann and Archivist Connor Lysaght, who will delve into a collection of letters written by…
Cultural Awareness Talk | Fiji
In this Cultural Awareness session, you will learn about Fijian culture and discuss basic social protocols to help you interact with clients, whānau, and friends. The session will…
Artist Talk | Q&A with Noel Meek
Join our Art Curator James Hope and artist Noel Meek in a Q&A session about his new exhibition. the cuckoo sings for me, for the mountain, a speculative…
Witching Words: A Poetry Competition
Witching Words: A Poetry Competition invites visitors of all ages to step into a world where language shimmers and imagination leads the way. Inspired by the playful poetry…
Workshop | Treasured Photos
Join us for a practical workshop led by archivist Connor Lysaght, where you will be introduced to methods for identifying various types of historic photographs, best‑practice approaches for…
Heritage Talk | Robyn Burgess
To celebrate our new exhibition Documenting our Heritage: Mid & South Canterbury, Heritage New Zealand’s Senior Heritage Advisor for Canterbury/West Coast, Robyn Burgess, will give an illustrated talk…
Heritage Talk | Mid Canterbury Suffragettes
The Ashburton Family History Group have spent many years researching the Mid Canterbury women who signed the suffrage petition. At this special talk, we will hear about their…
Community Event | Stitching the Suffrage Panel
After stitching a textile panel representing Whakatere Ashburton for a project lead by the Tapestry Trust NZ in 2019, the Ashburton Embroiderers’ Guild now have the opportunity to…
Photography Workshop | Tegan Clark & Jaime McLauchlan
Join local professional photographers Tegan Clark and Jaime McLauchlan for an inspiring and practical introduction to photography. This one-hour session is designed for anyone with a DSLR or…
Artist Talk | Kara Burrowes and Charrette van Eekelen
Join us for an artist talk with Kara Burrowes and Charrette van Eekelen, Ōtautahi Christchurch-based artists who see the night as a psychologically charged space where memory, emotion,…
Documenting our Heritage: Mid & South Canterbury
The diverse and beautiful Mid & South Canterbury regions are home to 223 entries on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Over the summer, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere…
In Plain Site: Memorials and their Stories
From traditional monuments to functional buildings, and even living trees, public memorials take many shapes and forms. In Whakatere Ashburton many commemorate wartime sacrifice, while others acknowledge colonial…
Island Breeze
Join us for our monthly Pasifika wāhine art and craft session in Ashburton! If singing, chatting, and art sounds like your cup of tea, come along on the…
Art Addicts
Art Addicts (AA) is Rokowhiria’s weekly art space for kids during the school term. Wrap up your Wednesday school day and head to the Gallery and Museum to…
Able Art Collective
Able Art Collective is a supportive space for individuals with disabilities to explore, learn, create, connect and express themselves through art. Sessions are held on the second Wednesday…
Kōwhai Kids
Kōwhai Kids is our monthly art group for children aged 0-5 years. Join us once a month for a relaxed session where kids can engage with fun sensory…
Sunday Studio
Sunday Studio is our weekend art group for adults! Join us once a month to explore a new art technique and socialise on a Sunday afternoon. Each month…
In Colour
In Colour is a great way to unwind and relax with like-minded people. Bring along your art and craft projects to share with others over morning tea once…