Havelock stalwart honoured by new museum wing

A significant chapter in Havelock’s heritage journey was celebrated this week with the official opening of the Jack Shand Building at the Havelock Museum.

Named in honour of a key figure in the museum’s development, donating the old Havelock Suburban Hall to the Museum in 1992, the building stands as a tribute to his decades of dedication to preserving local history with a lens on the social lives of local iwi and the earliest Sounds settlers.

Special mention at the opening went to “project leader extraordinaire” Rita Jacobson, museum design team Sally Papps, Dr Peter Meihana and Ruihana Smith, as well as Jack’s son Martin and his wife Sylvia for attending the opening.

“The Museum Committee, with designer/exhibitor Sally Papps, had been meeting with Ruihana Smith who has helped Sally a great deal with Maori artifacts from Ngati Kuia and Peter Meihana from Ngati Kuia and Rangitane o Wairau, with items and history”, said Rita.

“We have had a survey form in the foyer of the Museum for many years and we were often asked for history of Māori in the area which the Jack Shand Building has added, as well as of the early colonisers into the Sounds which adds to the visitor experience.

“We would like to thank Sally Papps for the great exhibition, the Havelock Museum Committee for the number of meetings, the funding organisers - Lotteries, Rata Foundation, Marlborough District Council, Awhero Nui Charitable Trust, Havelock 4 Square, The Blue Door, One Forty One, Port Marlborough and the Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival.”