The Paekākāriki Station Museum updates its website

The Paekākāriki Station Museum now has a striking online presence via its new website, accessible at xplorepaekakariki.org.nz/

Hard work and commitment by Dave Johnson, Chair of the Paekākāriki Museum Trust, and Jude Walcott, Museum Trust member, has ensured the village’s rich history is even more accessible. Whether you are a local history buff or a curious traveller, the new website serves as a virtual portal to the stories that shape Paekākāriki.

Located in the heart of the village within the historic 1909 railway station building, the museum has long been a physical repository for Paekākāriki’s historical tales. The revamped digital platform mirrors this commitment to preservation.

Explaining the process, Dave and Jude stressed that they wanted to use a New Zealand web design company; after a search, they alighted on Cambridge-based Rocketspark. They also worked with Nikki Lundie from Nel Design in Te Horo who developed the framework for the site. Then there was the excellent photographic contribution of Paekākāriki local, Catherine Adam.

The site covers far more than just trains! While the museum is a ‘must-visit’ for rail enthusiasts—sitting alongside the active North Island Main Trunk line—the new website emphasises the museum’s role as a social history hub. It features a streamlined interface that allows users to explore the museum’s diverse collections, ranging from the heritage of Ngāti Haumia, Māori taonga, early European settlement and the intense period of the US Marines’ occupation during World War II to the Matariki & Early Paekākāriki History Exhibition & Talks, held in June 2025.

What distinguishes the Paekākāriki Station Museum’s online presence from your usual historical repository is its integration with the village’s lively arts scene. Historical education is mixed in with contemporary local culture. On the front page you can  link directly with the Paekākāriki History Trail. Landmarks include St Peters Hall, the station’s Signal Box, Holtom’s Building, the Paekākāriki  Hotel, the old Carson’s Chemist Shop, and the tennis and bowling clubs. And let’s not forget the Station Museum itself – click on this and read: “Paekākāriki’s original railway station was nothing like today’s one, being described in an early issue of the NZ Railway officers “Advocate” as a small, dark old shanty.”

Then there is the virtual Arts Walk. This walk, which you can do, both physically and virtually, showcases the work of local artists, including J.C. Sturm, Apirana Taylor, John Daubé, Emily Boonen, Mercedes Webb-Pullman, Thomas Bracken, Ian McNeur, Michael O’Leary, Will Lawson, and Rob Hack. The site also has a section on ‘significant personalities’’. This includes a story about one of New Zealand’s greatest poets, Denis Glover, and his colourful life in Paekākāriki. Another describes the controversial life of Captain Val Sanderson, the founder of Forest & Bird. The village’s famous bull fighting twins, Pearl and Florrie, also feature in a story.

Last but not least is the Kākāriki Bookshop: New Zealand’s only bookshop located in a working railway station run by author, poet, and local historian Michael O’Leary. Some of Michael’s Paekākāriki publications are highlighted.

The site shows how the museum’s very existence is a testament to community activism. In 1993, the Paekākāriki Station Precinct Trust was formed to save the 1909 railway station from demolition. The website chronicles this ‘save the station’ mission, illustrating how the community rallied to preserve it.

Go to the website! And consider becoming a weekend volunteer at the museum. It’s only two hours a month. Most volunteers love their time there, meeting the many interesting characters who drop by.

Photo: Jude Walcott and Dave Johnson. Taken by Sharon Bryant.

From https://paekakariki.nz/the-paekakariki-station-museum-updates-its-website/