An explosion of “cultural colour” is how Museum Manager and Curator Paula Gaelic would describe the latest exhibition, “Treasures of Cultures” at Western Bay Museum.

In April 2023, a call was put out to our community, to share their personal Taonga/treasures and the stories behind why the object were so important to them. There was a tremendous response to the call out, with community members sharing objects and stories representing literally dozens of countries. 

The exhibition is truly a celebration of the rich diversity in our region with every continent having representation.

It is bright, cheerful, honest, sometimes sad, intriguing and every donor has been very proud to share their own personal stories.

Among the objects on display, we have textiles, tools, china, rugs and carpets, coffee pots, calligraphy, bulls, traditional costumes and so much more.

Too many countries to list and there is something that will appeal to everyone. “It is really beautiful and quite amazing really,” says Gaelic.

The “Treasures of Cultures” exhibition will open to the public on Saturday August 5th, and will remain on display until January 2024. Western Bay Museum is now pleased to offer free entry to all walk-in visitors. Museum Experiences such as Public Programmes, Education Programmes and some events still have a charge.