About the museum
A small museum with a large story
Te Whare Taonga ki Tuku Iho o Paetūmokai — honouring Featherston's stories, in the heart of Paetūmokai.
Our museum
Featherston Heritage Museum is housed in the re-sited Waiorongomai School, dating from around 1916. The Museum holds information and memorabilia relating to the WWI Featherston Military Training Camp, the WWII Japanese Prisoner of War Camp, Featherston and its surrounding districts.
Featherston is unique: no other location in New Zealand was home to two major military camps, each playing an important role in New Zealand history.
Visitors can also see a working 1932 Ford Model A fire engine and memorabilia from the Featherston Volunteer Fire Brigade. Nearby, Paul Dibble's sculpture Featherston Stand | He Tino Mamao commemorates the WWI military camp.
Te reo Māori name
Te Whare Taonga ki Tuku Iho o Paetūmokai — the house of treasures handed down at Paetūmokai — honours the original name of this place and the responsibility of passing its stories to the next generation.
Television & conservation
Heritage Rescue
Featherston Heritage Museum featured in the first episode of the second series of Heritage Rescue in 2017.
Archaeologist and museum specialist Brigid Gallagher and her team worked with the Museum to improve the presentation of its collections and help tell Featherston's military history more effectively. The Featherston episode particularly explores the Museum's connection with the Second World War prisoner-of-war camp and the events of 1943.
The episode is part of the 2017 Heritage Rescue series and is available to watch through NZ On Screen.