This new exhibit is a blast from the past and will reignite familiar memories from many locals and visitors to the area. It is a nod to the Old School Room Exhibit that the museum closed in 2021, the local general store and haberdashery shop.
A Walk Down Memory Lane has many exciting artefacts, including a hat and jacket that belonged to Miss Kathleen Hodge – who owned the local haberdashery shop for many years.
Many of the artefacts in the exhibit were once from her shop once it closed. Keeping in line with the Hodge family, there are also a pair of boots that were made by the local bookmaker – Mr Hodge.
The school room will feel familiar whether you attended school in the Bay or visited the previous school room. The Museum has included a nod to the “murder house” and has reinstated the dental nurse corner, with all artefacts from the original Mercury Bay Area School Dental Clinic.
Join us to take a walk down memory lane and visit our general store and haberdashery and then take time to visit the school room too.
These shops were once opposite each other in Albert Street between the 1930’s to 1970’s.
The first school was on School Road, but today Albert Street now leads you towards Mercury Bay Area School on South Highway.
Albert Street is the main street of Whitianga and named after Prince Albert (1819 – 1861). Due to the amount of development that took place throughout Aotearoa New Zealand during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 – 1901), there is usually an Albert Street or Albert Park featured in cities, towns and small rural villages, and Whitianga is no exception. Albert was the husband and Prince Consort of Queen Victoria and had a significant influence on his wife. It is reported that she never recovered from his premature death in 1861.
In 1883 this main street appeared on the Coromandel County Council survey map as ‘Coromandel Road’. Two years later, when it was fully surveyed, it was shown as ‘Back Road’. At that time the streets were paved with the white shell from the beach to combat the dust or mud, depending on the season.
Albert Street is still the main street of Whitianga’s CBD. In late 2018, the town centre was upgraded and is now a pedestrian-friendly area dotted with cafes, shops and palm trees; a far cry from the muddy wheel-rutted road of days gone by.