Donate

Donate Objects

The Tuapeka Goldfields Museum accepts donations of objects, books, photographs, art, maps, and ephemera relevant to the former Tuapeka District.

If you have an object or collection you would like to donate to the Museum, please contact us at tuapekagoldfieldsmuseum[at]gmail.com.


Donate Money

The Tuapeka Goldfields Museum is primarily funded with donations from people like you.

Your financial support contributes to our on-going work to preserve, protect, and promote our region’s rich history.

Donate by bank transfer:
ANZ 06-0936-0059974-00

Tuapeka Goldfields Museum Society Inc. is a non-profit registered charity. Charity number CC27760.

Object Donation Frequently Asked Questions

What types of objects do you accept?
We accept a wide variety of objects, from textiles to art and farming equipment. What is most important is the history of the object and how it relates to life in the area.

We are most interested in objects relating to these key themes:

  • Otago gold rush

  • Lawrence Chinese community

  • Agricultural equipment and tools

  • Gold mining equipment and tools

  • God Defend New Zealand and its composer, John Joseph Woods

  • Social and historical objects from 1853 to 1920


Are there any types of objects you do not accept?
Yes, for legal and practical reasons we cannot accept the following:

  • Firearms

  • Human remains

  • Objects made from or containing asbestos.

  • Facsimiles of works (photographs, text, maps) held by other institutions.

  • Objects collected in breach of the Protected Objects Act 1975, or objects collected in circumstances which are unscientific or destructive to archaeological sites.



I donated an object, but don’t see it on display in the museum. Where is it?

When you don’t see an object on display, don’t worry, it is still being cared for behind the scenes. We have thousands of objects, photos, and documents in our collection. If every object was on display all the time, we would need a much larger building! We frequently have temporary displays that enable these less-seen objects to be shared with the public.


Certain materials, like textiles and fabric, are sensitive to light and can only be displayed for short periods of time. By rotating fragile artefacts we can help keep them around for future generations.