collections
about our Collections
The Collections have a Wellington history focus, including its civic, social, cultural, maritime and economic development. They have been established through the transferral of material from the Wellington Maritime Museum Trust, the Colonial Cottage Trust and the Cable Car Museum. READ MORE about our Collections
Plimmer's Ark
Beneath what is now a central city building, the remains of a sailing ship were uncovered in 1997. The remains were the hull sections of the 1848 sailing ship Inconstant which became a warehouse known as Plimmer's Ark. At two conservation sites the Plimmer’s Ark Project tells the story of the Inconstant - of Plimmer’s Ark and its owner John Plimmer - and shows the conservation of the timber remains of the Ark. READ MORE Plimmer's Ark
cataloguing
This is a systematic documentation of the museum’s vast Collections, recording the physical details and location of each object and then searching museum records to collate all relevant information. The Museum uses Vernon Systems (a computer-based object cataloguing system) to catalogue its objects, with the majority of work completed by our wonderful Museum volunteers. Find out about our current cataloguing projects. READ MORE cataloguing
research
Items in the Collections are available to other institutions for research purposes or for general public viewing. READ MORE research
resources
Find out more information on Wellington history with our fact sheets or view the entire exhibition archive. READ MORE resources
Len Castle Vase (part of the Museums Wellington Collections).
This large double-necked vase, made by New Zealand Potter Len Castle, stood proud on the reception desk foyer of Wellington’s five star-plus Royal Oak Hotel (corner Manners and Cuba Street) - until it was stolen by rock band The Pretty Things in August 1965.
These English rockers, dubbed the "uglier cousins of the Rolling Stones", left a trail of mayhem and destruction on their 1965 down under tour and were banned for life from touring New Zealand and Australia. During their Wellington stay drummer Viv Prince set fire to the curtains of the Opera House and the band wreaked havoc at their hotel – including emptying chemical fire extinguishers throughout the corridors, threatening guests and staff alike, trashing their room and stealing this vase from the hotel foyer as they checked out.
Dubbed the ‘Jub-Jub Bird Egg’ by Prince, it was only returned when the band realised they had left a suitcase behind at the hotel. Holding the upper hand, the hotel insisted the Len Castle vase be returned in exchange for the luggage. It was subsequently popped into a taxi, returned to the hotel and glued onto the reception desk where it remained until the hotel’s demolition in 1981 due to fire damage. The vase had to be chipped off the desk with hammer and chisel and as a result suffered a hole in the base. This hole is now the consequence of a whole lot of history.