492 Proceedings. 



were given that, where possible, four samples of allotted trophies should be secured — 

 one to go to the National Museum, and the rest to the three other Museuifis." So 

 the matter rests at present. 



The Domain Site and a New Museum. — In last year's report the Council dwelt 

 at considerable length on the drawbacks and deficiencies of the present Museum 

 buildings, and showed that the existing site was not large enough for ^jresent 

 requirements, to say nothing of future needs. It then described the steps that had 

 been taken to obtain a site in the Auckland Domain, and the sympathetic readiness 

 with which the proposal was received by the Aucldand City Council. Finally, it 

 announced that the passage through Parliament of the Auckland Institute and 

 Museum Site Empowering Act had vahdated the action of both the City Council and 

 the Institute, and that the site — admittedly one of the finest in Auckland — was now 

 open to be dealt with as soon as the necessary funds were available. It is now the 

 duty of the Council to state what action has been taken since tlie last annual meeting. 

 At a meeting of the Council held in Marcli last it was decided that the best chance 

 of successful effort was to be found in securing the co-operation of the City Council, 

 then preparing to discuss the shape that the war memorial for the Cit}' of Auckland 

 should take, and the following resolution was carried : " That this Council affirms the 

 suitability of a modem Museum as the selected form of war memorial for the Auckland 

 District ; such Museum to be erected on Observatory Hill, in the Auckland Domain, 

 and to have special reference to war-memorial exhibits, including a hall devoted to 

 such. It is further suggested that the special committee of the City Council appointed to 

 consider the question be earnestly requested to favourably consider the proposal, and 

 to commend it to the citizens as the most suitable project to commemorate the war, 

 and as being in the interests of the citizens generally." The above resolution was duly 

 forwarded to the City Council, which had also received numerous other proposals from 

 various sources. All these were carefully considered by the City Council and its 

 advisory committee, with the result that the erection of a modern Museum on Observa- 

 toiy Hill was accepted as the most suitable war memorial for the Auckland District. 



The erection of a new Museum building will now necessitate some organized move- 

 ment to raise funds. There seems to be no serious rivalry to this project ; on the other 

 hand, there is every indication that it is coming more and more into favour, even on 

 the part of a section of the community which at the outset hesitated to give its support, 

 with the result that the commimity will probably now be imited in its favour. The 

 building will combine with Museum accommodation suitable halls for the adequate 

 display of war trophies, also galleries to contain photographs of those members of the 

 New Zealand Expeditionary Forces who have specially distinguished themselves. The 

 groimds will permit the suitable displaj' of those large armaments which cannot be 

 provided for in any building. 



The cost of building on the Domain site will doubtless be considerable, and will 

 probabty not be less than £100,000. It must be remembered that the first instalment 

 of Museum buildings must provide not only for immediate needs and for the display 

 of the exhibits in a modern manner, but must also be sufficiently extensive to accom- 

 modate many invaluable collections at present in private hands, but which, if they can 

 be displayed in an adequate manner, will be donated to the citizens of Auckland, thus 

 forming a priceless addition to the Museum. 



The Council is in commmiication with the Right Hon. the Prime IMinister with a 

 view to securing a subsidy from the Government towards the erection of the building. 

 The position has been fully set out to the Government as follows; "The Auckland 

 Mu.seum occupies an anonaalous position as regards State assistance, as is proved by the 

 following facts respecting the four chief museums of the Dominion. In Canterbury 

 from £18,000 to £25,000 has been expended in erecting the Museum, every peimy of 

 which came from public funds. In Otago the original buildurgs cost £12,500, also all 

 derived from public f\mds. Half the cost of an addition made some ten or twelve years 

 years ago was also borne by the Government. Whatever li^s been done in the past 

 in Wellington has been done directly by the Government, and in the immediate future 

 a large expenditure is contemplated for the erection of an entirely new Museum. In 

 Auckland alone has the governing body of its Museum been compelled to provide almost 

 the whole cost of erecting buildings, and, while the bequests and the monetary contribu- 

 tions made to the Museum amount to over £20,000, the total sum given by the Govern- 

 ment barely reaches £3,500, all of which was granted many years ago. Had the Museum 

 Council been able to provide intact the whole of the benefactions made to the Museum, 

 the revenue of the institution would have been much greater, but it has been necessary 

 to use a large proportion for enlarging the site of the Museum and erecting buildings, 

 an exi^enditure which in the other Museums has been provided for out of public funds. 

 In no other part of the Dominion have such large benefactions in money been made 

 to Museums as in Auckland and so little done by the Government. Surely the public 



