Project Aorangi
Yes, the Coach House Museum is
moving to new premises. The old wool spinners' building on the
corner of South Street and Kawakawa Road will be renovated, added to and
otherwise converted into an attractive modern facility. The current museum
on Bowen Street is almost bursting at the seams with rare coaches, gigs, wagons
and farm equipment. Visitors breathe the rich history of Feilding
and the original Manchester Block as they stroll past the exhibits, some fully
restored, others in surprisingly good "last used" condition.
It's a quarter million dollar donation from the Eastern and Central Community
Trust that is turning the museum relocation from an on-paper dream into an
attractive home for local heritage. "Their generosity has turned the key
for us to take that step," says Mr Hunter. The builders are already set
up, awaiting only this go-ahead and the final consents, and now they've got
until December to get the new site ready. The whole museum has to be moved
before anyone opens any presents under the tree. "It'll be a tight squeeze
to the finish," Mr Hunter reckons, but points out that there's really only one
way to move all those old vehicles, and that's through town. Looks
like Feilding gets two Christmas parades this year!
Source: The
Guardian, 23 June 2011
