Coromandel School Of Mines & Historical Museum

Coromandel School Of Mines & Historical Museum Admission - Adults $5 & children 12 yrs under Free with paying adult
Cash or Eftpos

841 Rings Road, Coromandel, 3506

You may have noticed the spotlight on our volunteers this month, culminating in Volunteer Week this week.At the Museum, ...
16/06/2026

You may have noticed the spotlight on our volunteers this month, culminating in Volunteer Week this week.

At the Museum, keeping the doors open and sharing our local history is a team effort and there is always plenty to do.

We are looking for more helping hands. Whether you can spare a few hours a week, a few hours a month, or have a particular skill you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Our volunteers help with a wide range of tasks both behind the scenes and in public-facing roles. Some of the roles include:

• Welcoming visitors and staffing the front desk
• Office administration and record keeping
• Gardening and grounds maintenance
• Building repairs and general maintenance
• Creating and installing displays and exhibitions
• Collection care and conservation work
• Researching local history
• Cataloguing and documenting artefacts
• Assisting with events and community days
• Merchandise and gift shop support
• Marketing, social media, and website updates
• Cleaning and presentation of museum buildings and exhibits.

Every contribution, big or small, helps preserve and share our community’s heritage, so please contact us if you think you can help out

https://www.coromandel-museum.co.nz/contact

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, we would like to acknowledge and thank all those who have generously given thei...
14/06/2026

As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, we would like to acknowledge and thank all those who have generously given their time, skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to support the Museum over the past year.

Our sincere thanks go to:
• Jennie James
• Judy Bronlund
• Joanna Platt
• Maureen Kimber
• Denise Campbell
• Lindsay Garmson
• Liz Hoskin
• Raewyn McKinney
• Sandra Watson
• John Walker
• Stephanie Campbell Wilson
• John Gaffikin Cowan
• Murray Brown
• Melva Kuunders
• Delwyn Allely
• Debbie Harvey
• Geoff Kingsmill
• Susan Swan
• Richard Sharp
• Nadine Wishnowsky
• Jayne Lister
• Gary Pettit
• Geoff James
• Matthew Wilson

And other people who have supported us.

We also extend our gratitude to the organisations and groups that have supported us throughout the year:
• Lions Club
• Coromandel Town Information Centre
• RSA
• Bits and Pieces Ukulele Band

Whether helping behind the scenes, assisting with exhibitions and events, sharing specialist knowledge, or simply lending a hand when needed, every contribution helps preserve and share the rich history of our community.

Thank you to all our volunteers, past and present. Your dedication keeps the Museum thriving. ❤️🏛️

Today we’re shining the spotlight on another one of the many people who generously give their time to help keep the Muse...
12/06/2026

Today we’re shining the spotlight on another one of the many people who generously give their time to help keep the Museum thriving, this is Richard Sharp:

Hello,
I'm Richard, a volunteer at Coromandel Museum. It's an interesting place with good people involved. Also a great way to learn about the history of Coromandel Town & the surrounding district.

Sometimes we're working behind the scenes. Digging footings for a concrete pour, trimming the hedge, up & down a ladder to stow or remove items for display.

Sorting & arranging the tools for the workshop display, was a satisfying exercise. Blacksmith forge, tongs, sheep shearing gear & many other hand tools are there to be seen up close.
All reminders of a by gone working era.

The Shool of Mines, Domestic displays, Town Jail & Olde Creamery Building are worthy exhibts.

The other people whom give their time to our Museum, have become friends.
I have a day job but volunteering is something social & rewarding.
Come & see.. .

COROMANDEL MUSEUM AGM📅 Sunday 21st June🕐 1:00pm📍 Elizabeth Park Village HallWe warmly invite all museum members to atten...
10/06/2026

COROMANDEL MUSEUM AGM

📅 Sunday 21st June
🕐 1:00pm
📍 Elizabeth Park Village Hall

We warmly invite all museum members to attend our Annual General Meeting and have their say about the future direction and running of the Museum.

If you are not currently a member but have an interest in the Museum and what we do, you are very welcome to come along and learn more.

If you know someone who may be interested in becoming involved, please encourage them to attend. New faces, fresh ideas, and community support are always appreciated.

☕🍰 Coffee, tea and cake will be served after the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Introducing one of our visitors, Glenn Peebles.After contacting us recently to make sure we could grant his request, Gle...
03/06/2026

Introducing one of our visitors, Glenn Peebles.

After contacting us recently to make sure we could grant his request, Glenn made the 2.5-hour journey from Auckland over King’s Birthday Weekend to visit the museum.

His request was a simple one — to hold the baton that was presented to his great-grandfather, Jim Peebles, when he served as Bandmaster of the Coromandel Silver Band.

We were delighted to be able to make that happen and to help Glenn connect with a special piece of his family’s history.

“Hi I'm Glenn Peebles, great grandson of Jim Peebles who is in the photo of the Coromandel brass band (1912) in the museum. It also has my Great grandmother in it as well and his gifted baton (1915).

I play in my local band from Peria “Soulshine” since 2002 and was delighted to find out about our musical connection and learn about my family history.

Jim had an extensive career from 16 years of age and he was teaching his grandchildren to play the cornet at the 94!

He worked in many places around the Waikato, Warkworth and Auckland and Ive found information on him in 4 different museums!
The biggest thing I have noticed is that all the articles I have read on Jim centre around the sense of community spirit at the time and how it takes the community to make the band, commemorating and celebrating New Year's Eve parties, fundraisers for travel and hardships and other community celebrations.

When I visited the museum I brought my bass guitar to touch base and connect with Jim.
The museum volunteer was very pleasant and collected all the information and items they had on Jim together for a photo. My family have much appreciated seeing this.

I worked out Jim is 1 year apart in age but we are 100 years apart.
The uncanny thing is we've been doing similar activities.
My oldest son Isaac has played the drums since 5 years old and now guitar at 25 years of age. My youngest son Ezra sung in the family band we had when they were small.

Just want to shout out to the museum for the help to do this and what a great looking collection they have and maintained.”

The museum is now closed for the winter season.While our doors may be closed, our volunteers are still busy behind the s...
01/06/2026

The museum is now closed for the winter season.

While our doors may be closed, our volunteers are still busy behind the scenes planning and preparing next year’s exhibitions, carrying out maintenance, and ensuring there’s plenty to see when we reopen.

Although the museum is closed to the general public over winter, group visits can still be arranged by appointment.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for our Community Open Day on Saturday 26 September, with the new season officially beginning on Saturday 3 October.

Thank you for your support throughout the season. We look forward to seeing you again in spring!

Why recruit one volunteer when you can get two? Our mother-and-daughter volunteers brings family teamwork to support the...
31/05/2026

Why recruit one volunteer when you can get two? Our mother-and-daughter volunteers brings family teamwork to support the museum.

Denise Campbell (left)

“I started volunteering for the museum 10 years ago when we moved to the area from the UK. I have always been very interested in history and feel strongly that our community’s stories must be preserved for future generations to learn about.

I enjoy meeting and greeting our visitors and I ‘man the desk’ on Mondays - so pop by and say hello! Visitors always remark that the museum houses a lot of interesting information about Coromandel’s history, industry and culture and the kids love doing the treasure hunt! One of my favourite artefacts in the museum is a hand carved interlocking picture frame, made up from 1200 pieces of Kauri chips, thought to be made by a local bush camp cook.

I have been a committee member for the last 2 years and help to develop new displays and events to keep the visitors’ experience fresh and interesting. I also help with family research for visitors who are wanting to connect with their past.

There are so many opportunities for volunteers to get involved in whatever their interest is: research, events, displays, new exhibits, or lending a hand with general maintenance. No experience necessary—just enthusiasm and a willingness to help.

Steph Campbell-Wilson (right)

“I got involved with the museum thanks to my mum, and I’ve since found plenty of ways to keep busy! From merchandising projects and making items to sell, to helping with exhibitions, setting up the website and Instagram page, and keeping Facebook well supplied with posts—if you’ve noticed a steady stream of museum updates, you know who to blame!” 😊

Although I live in Hamilton, I have a bach in Coromandel Town and have been visiting the area for over 20 years. The town and its history have become very special to me, so volunteering at the museum is a way of giving back to the community.

Volunteering remotely is very manageable and I would encourage anyone who is interested to contact the museum to see how they can help. Even though I live away from Coromandel, there is always something that can be done from afar, whether it’s helping with the website, social media, research, or promotion. It’s a great way to stay involved and support the museum wherever you are.”

Meet our next volunteer, Jennie, whose dedication and hard work have been instrumental in developing the museum into wha...
27/05/2026

Meet our next volunteer, Jennie, whose dedication and hard work have been instrumental in developing the museum into what it is today. From supporting new displays to helping preserve local history, Jennie’s passion and commitment continue to make a lasting difference behind the scenes and for every visitor who walks through our doors.

Jennie James

“My name is Jennie James and before you ask, no, I am not one of the James family from Coromandel. I’m another one who was recruited by Val Macdonald and that was about 15 years ago.

At the time I joined, the museum was getting its first computer with the aim of transferring all the catalogues of items held by the museum from paper onto a database. I started on that job in 2014 and am still doing it all these years later.

I joined the committee early on and am currently the chairperson. As well as the cataloguing, I work on the desk, meeting and greeting our visitors, write the monthly newsletter for members and help with displays.

In my time I have seen major changes at the Museum, including the relocation of the Firlawn House dairy onto our site with tremendous support from the community, the setting up of the merchandising area and the introduction of changing displays often with the co-operation of local community groups.

There is always something new and interesting to discover while sorting through the museum’s artefacts and documents, which reveal the town’s fascinating past.

Most of our volunteers are now in their 70s and 80s so without the help of younger members of the community the Museum’s existence may be limited. We need to preserve our town’s history and we need your help to do it.”

Volunteering at the museum is a way to connect with others, learn new skills, and contribute to the preservation of loca...
23/05/2026

Volunteering at the museum is a way to connect with others, learn new skills, and contribute to the preservation of local history.

Our next volunteer we would like to introduce is Geoff who is instrumental in maintaining this history and keeping Coromandel’s heritage alive and accessible to everyone.

Geoff James

“I retired to Coromandel from Tokoroa in 2008 with my wife Jennie. She has been a museum committee member for much of that time and as I know what’s good for me, I help out when needed to preserve matrimonial harmony!

In all seriousness, volunteering at the museum is great as I get to meet a really cool range of local people with different skills and a vast knowledge of regional history. This also helps me
to feel connected with the area and its past history.

I’m a mechanical engineer by training, having been involved the running of pulp and paper mills in the central north island and Auckland.

I do maintenance work for the museum as and when required but also restore and enhance historic photographs held by them, using AI-based computer software that we have at home.

It’s pretty cool to be able to bring a lifetime’s work experience to support a really valuable local resource, particularly as it’s entirely run by volunteers and receives relatively little official funding.

How about bringing your skills to give us a hand? It can be as much or little time as you’re able to donate and meeting a range of other people is always enjoyable.”

As winter approaches, next week will be our final week open before the museum closes for the season — so it’s your last ...
20/05/2026

As winter approaches, next week will be our final week open before the museum closes for the season — so it’s your last chance to view our special ANZAC display.

We will be open all day over King’s Birthday Weekend on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

The museum will hold a Community Open Day on Saturday 26th September as we celebrate the start of a new season.
Our regular season opens from Saturday 3rd October.

Although the museum closes over winter, group visits are still welcome by appointment throughout the off-season and you can still keep up to date with all the museum news and updates on our website and other social media sites!

Address

841 Rings Road
Coromandel
3506

Opening Hours

Monday 1pm - 4pm
Tuesday 1pm - 4pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Thursday 1pm - 4pm
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+64211602351

Website

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