Private museum a treasure trove
Paul Sangster with some of his 60 restored motorbikes. The red one up front is his prized 1941 Indian. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
More than a few Golden Bay people have been through Paul Sangster’s private museum over the years, but it would be fair to say the majority of locals wouldn’t even know the nondescript 600-square-metre building in Haldane Road even existed.
It’s packed with Paul’s orderly collection of what he describes as “damaged or basket-case” items he’s collected for little outlay over the past 40 years. Stuff from farms, old houses and buildings, dumps and industrial sites, much of it subsequently restored with plenty of help from friends and supporters. Outside his museum shed you’ll see the 100-year-old Takaka jail that used to stand at the back of the Police Station when it was up beside the Catholic Church. The two-cell jail was destined to be burned down as a training exercise, but Paul talked to a few of his mates in the local brigade and saved it.
Inside, the main museum shed is impressive. A 1978 Trans Am sports car vies for attention alongside a Jeep, a Bren gun carrier, a double-chassis Morris Commercial and a huge carbon arc searchlight. Antiquated cans, signs and petrol pumps fill all available space. But a little look around, especially down the two well-organised and glassed galleries, quickly establishes a strong military theme. There’s a range of weaponry going back to a 1796 mussel loader. There’s anti-aircraft guns, bombs and bullets, plus extensive wartime memorabilia including medals, uniforms, canteen gear, even old Gallipoli postcards sent by our government to NZ troops serving there.
“I got the bug with military stuff because we’re moving away from it, yet at the same time so many advances were made because of military inventions,” said Paul. “The machine guns have to be locked away in my safe these days, but all the A-class firearms are OK displayed in locked glass wall cabinets. Collectively they’ve been used in all major conflicts, including the Maori Wars, Boer War, WWI and WWII and the Vietnam War.”
In another section of the shed is Paul’s well-known collection of motorbikes, which includes his prized 1941 Indian along with a 1927 Harley. His found and acquired objects collected all around Golden Bay are a record of over a century of commercial, agricultural and domestic endeavour, like the 1890s ornate barber chair that came from Bob Papps’ barber’s shop that used to exist at 30 Commercial St.
Paul’s long-term dream is to build a museum, café and adventure playground complex in the heart of Takaka. To this end he purchased some years ago a one-hectare property on Reilly Street, across the road from the playground and running roughly past the Citizen’s Band room. Here he hopes eventually to erect a purpose-built building that will house his collection, and which he hopes will entice people, families in particular, to go and take a look. “The kids can take in the adventure playground while parents could relax at the café, which will earn the revenue. I’d love the museum itself to be free entry. It’s just something I like sharing with people, and I’ve always regarded myself as caretaker rather than owner of all these objects.”
Paul’s collecting history started at age nine with stamps while he attended Sunnybank Boys Home, a Catholic residential school at Whakapuaka (just out of Nelson) for boys from broken homes. After he married Gilda, he started “digging for bottles” and later progressed to collecting machinery when he worked as a driver for TNL. Recalls Paul of that time: “Everywhere I went there seemed to be something lying around that no one wanted. Every old farm building had an old gun, oil can, grease gun, even an old valve radio to give away.”
After the Rockville Museum started, Paul helped there for 25 years—and it still houses half a dozen of his vintage farm tractors and nine of his stationary engines.
Paul started building his museum shed in the backyard of his Haldane Road home 29 years ago. “Quite a few history buffs and groups like motorcycle clubs call in these days and they often follow up the visit by dropping something in to add to a specific collection. One guy rode his motorbike all the way back from Blenheim with a WWII first aid kit stuffed up his jacket to give to me recently. The staff at the dump still give me a yell when something interesting turns up, but mostly I’m occupied by cleaning and tidying things up these days.”
Paul reveals a cavernous back room chocker to the ceiling with everything from veteran outboards, early washing machines, big valve radios and box upon box of woodworking tools.
“I’ve always been a six-hour sleeper so fair to say plenty of long evenings have been spent out here over the years. One day it’ll be up town and more people will be able to see it, and that’s what I’m slowly working towards until then.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
