Howick Historical Village is a

living museum A living museum, also known as a living history museum, is a type of museum which recreates historical settings to simulate a past time period, providing visitors with an experiential interpretation of history. It is a type of museum that recr ...

Auckland, New Zealand Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. It is a recreation of a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

colonial village using surviving buildings from the surrounding area. Despite its name, the Village is actually located in the suburb of

Pakuranga Pakuranga is an eastern suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. Pakuranga covers a series of low ridges and previously swampy flats, now drained, that lie between the Pakuranga Creek and Tamaki River, two estuary, estuarial arms of the ...

Village history

The village originally used the name ''Howick Colonial Village''. It was built by the Howick Historical Society on land gifted by the

Manukau City Council Manukau City was a territorial authority district in Auckland, New Zealand, that was governed by the Manukau City Council. The area is also referred to as "South Auckland", although this term never possessed official recognition and does not ...

. The development and operation of the village was funded from admission fees, income generated from events and bookings, donations, plus some funding from The Howick Local Board. The Village contains

fencible The Fencibles (from the word ''defencible'') were British regiments raised in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the Frenc ...

cottages, a

mission house The Mission House at Kerikeri in New Zealand was completed in 1822 as part of the Kerikeri Mission Station by the Church Missionary Society, and is New Zealand's oldest surviving building. It is sometimes known as Kemp House. History Samuel ...

, a

court house A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

, and an old shop. Since 2016, the village has been used as a set to film for the YouTube group Viva La Dirt League. On 26 May 2020, the village reported that it had suffered serious financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, had cut staff, and was actively seeking financial support from Auckland Council and other agencies.

Governance

The village is owned and operated by the Howick & Districts Historical Society Incorporated, which is a registered charity. As an incorporated society, any individual can become a member on payment of an annual subscription. Members elect a board each year at the annual general meeting. The board consists of a president, secretary, treasurer and up to seven members.

Visiting

The village is open to the public every day of the year (except Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Good Friday) from 10am-4pm (last entry at 3pm). Live Days are held periodically, when costumed volunteers re-enact daily life in Victorian New Zealand times. School groups continue to visit the Museum regularly as part of their LEOTC (Learning Experience Outside The Classroom) studies. Weddings and other private celebrations are regularly held at the village using the church for ceremonies and the historic Bell House. The village is also offered as a film shoot location.

Restoration projects

Over the years, a number of restoration projects have taken place throughout the village. These buildings are timber framed and require significant ongoing work to protect and preserve them. In 2016, a project was commenced to restore Sergeant Ford's Fencible cottage. This project was started with the support of the

New Zealand Lottery Grants Board The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board Te Puna Tahua is a business unit of the Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand. The New Zealand Lottery Grants Board is governed by the Gambling Act 2003. Its purpose is to benefit the community by di ...

. During the project, further deterioration of the foundation was found, extending the cost of the project by $30,000 and causing significant financial difficulties for the village. The village needed to source additional support in order to prevent stress on the Society's financial reserves, and the project was ultimately rescued with support from the Stevenson Village Trust. In 2019, the large Pakuranga school house was restored with funding provided by lotteries commission. Significant work by a team of contractors and volunteers completed this vital weather proofing work which included repairs to the windows and weatherboards.

References

External links

Howick Historical VillageThe collections of Howick Historical Village
{{Howick Local Board Area 1980 establishments in New Zealand Howick Local Board Area Museums in Auckland Open-air museums in New Zealand East Auckland Physical museums with virtual catalogues and exhibits