Despite both visitor numbers and donations dropping by over 50 percent, the Cromwell Museum has plans aplenty and has gained wide support from funders to help carry them out.

“It was a difficult year with Covid, numbers dropped significantly. Numbers of visitors last year were just over 4000 compared with over 10,000 the year before and our donations were $3800 compared with almost $10,000 the year before.

"This year has been similar in terms of numbers and donations,” Cromwell Museum Trust chairperson Martin Anderson said.

It had been a busy year, however, with the majority of exhibitions continuing and over $45,000 being raised in external funding.

A recent tour of four southern museums had provided much inspiration, Martin told the Cromwell Community Board on Tuesday, particularly on modern and different approaches to displays. More would be visited over the coming year to gather further ideas.

Pupils from Waitahuna School Get up close with rare Chafer Beetles at Cromwell Museum on Wednesday, supervised by volunteer Irene Wallace.

Museum director Jennifer Hay said a live chafer beetle display was proving popular with visiting school groups. This was improved after some extra beetles were delivered who proved much less shy than the first batch, who chose not to come out and interact with the children. 

The Otago Museum photographic display was currently running and new exhibitions were planned for the new year.

Jennifer has joined a group having input to the planning of Cromwell’s new lakeside hall, museum and cultural centre as well as the Tu Tonu regional museum initiative at Otago

Museum, a Covid-19 response programme aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities of museums throughout Otago and Southland.

Martin told the Board community involvement in new museum projects was very important and thought had to be given to how to effectively get people involved. The issues of operational funding and reliance on volunteers would also be ongoing for the organisation, he said.

The Central Otago District Council provides an annual operational grant to the museum which increased from $36,000 to $40,000 during recent Long Term Plan budget reviews for 2021 to 2031.

How museums are funded and supported throughout Central Otago is currently being reviewed.