Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga

The Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga collects, displays and preserves objects related to the history of the Thames area. The Taonga Gallery opened in July 2022 in collaboration with local iwi. The general collection features objects from early Thames including a unique display of handcrafted kauri models of heritage buildings. Other displays include: A timeline display, artifacts from forestry work, kauri gum extraction, gold mining and the heavy industries associated with it, pioneer-era Thames newspapers, photographers and domestic life. New displays feature bottles of Thames and other collectible objects. A major exhibition commemorates Thames 150 years a town with a focus on the 1970s. This includes photographs by John Field and Les Downey.