Published on 15 June 2023
Te Whare Taoka o Waitaki/The Waitaki Museum and Archive is pleased to present its new exhibition ‘Power People, 100 Years of Network Waitaki’. One hundred years ago, on the 17 August 1923, the Waitaki Electric Power Board was established following a proclamation from Viscount Admiral Jellicoe.
When it was formed there were little more than one thousand users of electricity in the district, and between all of them there was just one electric cooking range. Water was pumped in wooden pipes to generators that measured their output not in kilowatts or horsepower but by the number of lamps they could supply. Wooden poles were raised by hand or with aid from a horse, and hard ground was broken by men with picks. This exhibition charts the course of a respected community organisation, from the advertisement of ‘electricity for the advancement of mankind’ through events such as ‘Bak-A-Rama!’ and the Queen Carnival to its current form as a 100% community trust owned company. With plenty of interactive elements including using specialist equipment, basic circuit making and classic games as well as some nostalgic photographs this exhibition suits visitors of all generations. The exhibition is in the new Temporary Exhibition Space upstairs in the museum, recently opened alongside the new permanent exhibition 'Ballad of the Waitaki'. The space has also been made even more accessible with the installation of a lift.
'Power People' is open until the 2nd of September Te Whare Taoka o Waitaki/The Waitaki Museum and Archive 60 Thames Street, Ōamaru