Tawhiti Museum and Nigel Ogle, the man behind this unique heritage project

Nestled in the heart of the South Taranaki region, and barely 5 minutes drive from Hawera is one man’s uniquely created heritage project that has won several accolades, including Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award for three years in a row.

Spread over five-and-a-half thousand square metres of what was at one time the Tawhiti Cheese Factory, the award winning Tawhiti Museum is considered a “testament to creativity and realism” that brings Taranaki’s history to life.

It is widely regarded as one of the ‘most innovative’ private museums in New Zealand and has accumulated several tourism awards over the years for handcrafted, stunning visual displays.

NewsViews recently travelled to Hawera to catch up with Nigel Ogle – the former art teacher and the man who has put this small town on tourism map through his single-handed creative efforts.

What started as a personal passion and hobby – collection of ‘bits and pieces’, Nigel’s project eventually grew into a comprehensive heritage showcase where visitors connect with the region’s past through artful storytelling.

From Nigel’s perspective, nothing concrete was planned until early 1970s, when the local 70-year-old Tāwhiti Cheese Factory came up for sale. Considering the possibilities, Nigel took the plunge and bought the old building and adjoining land in 1975.

Recounting how it all started, Nigel says “There was no big plan really. It all became possible when the cheese and dairy factory building became available – and that too, at an unbelievable price tag of mere $5,000. I started with just collecting some bits and pieces and then got into modelling and sculpting the figures that’s always been a focus of what we’ve done over the years. It just quietly snowballed.”

His collection of ‘bits and pieces’ eventually ended up creating a museum that blended art and history through his own handcrafted displays. 

“For me the motivation for a project such as this is really quite complex – a love of old things, a love of social history and community, a love of art and the creative process  – it’s all these things and more.”

Nigel Ogle was born and grew up in the area and memories of his rural upbringing have translated into some of his creations at the museum.

In April 1884, Nigel’s great grandparents – George Ogle, his wife Mary Ann, and their four children, left Wheatley, Nottinghamshire (in North England) for New Zealand for a new life. George’s brother William was also with them. They set sail on the SS Doric and arrived in Auckland two months later. In 1987, they moved to South Taranaki and over a period of time, the family had 12 more children. 

For the next two generations, the Ogle family were farming near Ararata and Nigel – the great grandchild of George Ogle was raised on a local dairy farm.

Youngest of five children, Nigel would often accompany his father (also named George) to deliver milk to the Tawhiti Dairy Factory, but he could never have imagined one day he would end up buying this.

“I guess much of what I do at the museum is influenced by my upbringing…Summer haymaking, daily milking the cows, silage making…chooks, pigs and family picnics at the farm – the memories remain and are reflected, I suppose, in many of the displays I’ve build for the museum.”

After finishing school, in 1971 he enrolled in the arts course at Palmerston North Teachers College with the hope of making a living from his developing artistic interests.

Nigel married Teresa while at college and both later taught art at Hawera High School. They had their first child Jeremy in 1977, followed by Jenni in 1980 and Paula in 1982.

“By then we had purchased the old factory and had knocked the house into some semblance of order, so the children were brought up from day one living in this ever-changing museum environment.”

In 1988 Nigel left teaching to work full time on his museum projects. The museum-now housed in the updated cheese factory, opened for four days a week. Other days he was making and maintaining displays.

From a small set of displays in 1980, Tahiti Museum now features thousands of meticulously crafted life-size and scale models, artifacts, dioramas that capture the early New Zealand life and represent moments in history.

Exhibits depict colonial life offering insights into early European settlement, highlight cultural heritage of Taranaki’s indigenous people, Māori traditions, maritime history, etc.Read More...