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The Life & Times of a well-travelled Steam tram Engine - No.100 - celebrating 130 years of age Built in 1891 by the well-known engine manufacturers Baldwin Locomotive Works, read about the history of MOTAT's Tram 100.
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The Arrival of a MOTAT Icon As part of the Registry team's Collection Review we delve into researching the MOTAT Collection. Here is some research I have been undertaking.
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Tram No. 135 and its century of travelling the tracks Built in 1921, Tram No. 135's history of service in Wellington and journey to MOTAT is outlined.
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MOTAT's Barclay 1270 Barclay 1270 is an industrial steam locomotive built by the firm of Andrew Barclay and Sons (now Brodie Engineering) in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The company manufactured steam locomotives from 1870 before moving on to produce fireless and, later, diesel locomotives. Many examples of Barclay locomotives have been preserved at museums and heritage railways in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, including Barclay 1270. MOTAT’s Barclay had an interesting history with New Zealand’s forestry, energy and mining industries in the 20th century - read on for more.
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New Zealand’s first diesel engine New Zealand’s first diesel engines were used at Dunedin’s Musselburgh Pumping Station from 1905. Only one of the two remains, and it is in MOTAT’s collection.
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Telecom Phone Cards A donation of Telecom phone cards from the late 1990s has filled a gap in our Telecommunications collection.
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A Polarising Sauce: The Essence of Anchovies In 2017, MOTAT received the donation of an unopened bottle of sauce carrying the title “Essence of Anchovies”. At first it may seem an unusual object for MOTAT's Collection, so let’s take a closer look at the unique history of this object.
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In Stitches: A Selection of Sewing Machines In use since the late 1700s, sewing machines have been a key component in both domestic and industrial technology. Contributing to the industrial revolution, providing uniforms for war, and altering domestic duties; sewing machines have evolved with social change throughout history. Often associated with the popular Singer name, sewing machines have become a symbol of women’s work, clothing production and factory jobs. It is interesting to note sewing machines were not manufactured in New Zealand but imported and sold under license by New Zealand retailers. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) Collection has a variety of sewing machines, which represent New Zealanders links with these, once essential, domestic appliance and reveal a unique side business for vehicle manufacturers.
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Preserving Time During the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that re-emerged was the appreciation of a more slow-paced life. This resulted from having more time at home due to people’s movements being restricted to their neighbourhoods. People had more time to spend in the garden and exercise through, walks, running, biking and/or scooter rides within their bubbles. With the lack of takeaway options, home cooked meals and baking became more common;, this also included the act of preserving food.
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MOTAT’s Queen of the Rails How one of Auckland’s Last Trams contributed to the beginings of the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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Harold Piper — What’s in an Aviator’s Logs? The Walsh Memorial Library hold eight logbooks of Banks Peninsula-born pilot Harold Lord Piper (1899–1965). Log books are an invaluable record for any pilot — tracing the different aircraft types flown, distances and conditions they flew in.
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‘A Long Day in a Tin Can’ New Zealand Railways hostesses recall working the main trunk line in the 1970’s and 80's.
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Morris’s Marquetry Masterpiece — The Story of MOTAT’s Half-Tester Bed One of the Registry team’s major projects for the year has been Collection Review. This is an ongoing process which assesses MOTAT’s Collection for its significance and relevance to the Mission and Strategy. My research focus was on the Furniture and Fittings Department. A stand out object from my research was James Morris’ Half Tester Bed (1967.437). The bed was donated to MOTAT in 1967 by a descendant of Morris.
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