Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom is a multi-cultural, multi-purpose visitor and community hub in Foxton, in the southern part of New Zealand's North Island. The award-winning facility hosts some 150,000 users annually - to visit the Maori and Dutch museums, the library or the community rooms, the gallery or the heritage room. Locals take care of their affairs in the Council Service Centre, whereas visitors from out of town can make travel and accommodation bookings at the i-SITE desk.

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom
Location92 Main Street, Foxton, New Zealand
Visitors150,000 (2018)
Websitewww.teawahou.com

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom was created through a partnership between Horowhenua District Council, Te Taitoa Māori o Te Awahou Trust and the Dutch Connection Museum Trust. Its signage features three languages, and its objective is to act as a centre for cultural wellbeing for the local community, mana whenua (Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga) and Dutch immigrants alike.

The Piriharakeke museum illustrates the history, reo and taonga of Ngati Raukawa ki te Tonga. The Oranjehof museum tells the story of the 'Invisible Immigrants' - the Dutch community in Aotearoa.

The facility is located in Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park, along with two cafes, a museum and other attractions.

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom first opened its doors[1] to the public on 18 November 2017.[2] The opening day was attended by Kaumatua, Ministers of the Crown and the Dutch Ambassador.

A Community and Visitor Hub

The concept of a multi-cultural and multi-lingual community and visitor centre[3] attracted funding of more than $1 million from the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage.[4]

In 2018, the facility won a number of architecture[5] and cultural awards,[6] including an Project Excellence Award[7] Museums Aotearoa Award judges considered Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom: “a ground-breaking three-way cultural partnership. The result is a feeling of real community ownership for the centre.”[8]

The facility includes two museums, a gallery, a heritage room, library, cafe and i-SITE, plus a Council service centre. Some 150,000 locals, visitors from out of town and international tourists frequent the building every year. The community areas include a foyer that regularly hosts art classes and senior-net IT help sessions, a large reading area with armchairs and power outlets, and a children's play area with educational toys. Room hire is available for educational purposes, exercise classes, hui, and conventions and business meetings.

A Multi-cultural facility

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom was created through a collaboration between three Partners: local Iwi, Horowhenua District Council and Dutch immigrant groups.[9]

The Hon Maggie Barry, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, commented: "As keepers and kaitiaki of our stories and our precious taonga, the local museums and galleries and whare taonga play an incredibly important role in our sense of identity as New Zealanders in a multi-cultural sense, ... [this is a] world-class facility".[10]

The Shared Gallery has featured exhibitions from Maori artists and weavers,[11] the 'Nga Hau Ngakau' Māori art exhibition with paintings and taonga puoro, Dutch exhibitions featuring Abel Tasman, Anne Frank[12] and Rembrandt,[13] as well as more local ones.

Piriharakeke design

Two Museums

The Piriharakeke Inspiration Generation Centre features:

  • Whakapapa – Origin stories associated with Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga
  • Whenua – A digitised perspective of landmarks and people, through the Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga rohe
  • Ko Manawatū te awa – The relationship with the river
  • Kaumātua – Our iwi leaders
  • Taonga – Special and important, shared with visitors
Keukenspul - Dutch kitchen

The Oranjehof Dutch Connection Centre showcases:

  • Tasman's travels – The first meeting of two worlds, Māori and Pākehā
  • Nederlandse Taal – You can listen to Dutch language on Dutch radio
  • Traditional games - Plus dress up costumes for selfies
  • The story of why so many Nederlanders ventured to Aotearoa
  • The Dutch influence on art and design - And on coffee culture, cheese making, agriculture and dairy
Dutch and Maori - Together

Centre Piece of a Cultural Park

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom is located in the centre of Foxton (population of 3,100), a small town in the Horowhenua region, an hour and a half drive north of Wellington, on State Highway 1.

Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park surrounds the building. Visitors of the Cultural Park can explore history and cultural heritage.

The precinct also features a Māori Master Carver and traditional moko artist, the flour-grinding Dutch windmill De Molen, a Flax museum with pioneering days photographic displays and a century old Flax Stripper Machine, and a Clydesdale Horse Drawn Tram that offers Sunday rides.

Heritage

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom and the Cultural Park are located in the centre of Foxton, which is a heritage town in its own right. Of note are the fully restored BNZ building on Main Street, and the oldest cottage in the region 'Nye Cottage' on Harbour Street.

The 1918 Foxton Fizz factory can be visited, and the MAVTech Museum provides a fascinating overview of the development of audiovisual technology during the last century. The exhibition is part of an authentic, restored movie theatre that traces its origins back to 1911 when it first was built as a Coronation Hall.

All are within a few minutes walk along Main Street with its many heritage buildings.

References
  1. "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Opening & Celebration | Ministry for Culture and Heritage". mch.govt.nz.
  2. "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Dutch and Kiwi cultural centre opens in Foxton". Stuff.
  3. "Funding for Foxton's new multi-purpose community facility | Ministry for Culture and Heritage". mch.govt.nz.
  4. "Foxton's Dutch museum gets $1 million boost from the Government". Stuff.
  5. Architects (www.nzia.co.nz), NZ Institute of. "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom". NZ Institute of Architects (www.nzia.co.nz).
  6. "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom project a finalist in LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards". www.lgnz.co.nz.
  7. "Museums Aotearoa Project Excellence award".
  8. "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom wins Museum Project Excellence Award".
  9. "Multi-cultural center Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom opens in Horowhenua". Māori Television.
  10. Beckman, Sadie (July 10, 2017). "Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom gets cultural grant of over a million". NZ Herald – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  11. "Toi Whakarākai – Weaving Exhibition". www.teawahou.com.
  12. "Anne Frank exhibition in Foxton highlights region's Dutch heritage roots". Stuff.
  13. Beckman, Sadie. "How 57 Rembrandts ended up in Foxton: Digital wizardry behind exhibition". NZ Herald – via www.nzherald.co.nz.

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