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Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum Oxford Museum

Oxford Museum

Te rohe - Location
56 Main Street Oxford North Canterbury 7430 New Zealand NZ

Ngā haora mahi - Opening hours
Summer opening hours -- September 1 to May 31
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11.00am - 3.30pm
Sunday 11.00am - 4.00pm

Winter opening hours - June 1 to August 31
Sunday 11.00am - 4.00pm

Other times by arrangement for groups
Please contact Alan Thompson 027 641 9071

Te utu - Admission
Voluntary Donation

OXFORD MUSEUM - HISTORY OF THE BUILDING

Built 1980 by the Historical Records Society, in conjunction with the Oxford Jaycees, who provided some of the manpower.

The original committee involved in getting the building started was; Ron Meyer (President), his wife Madge Meyer, Bill & Grace Ward, Gavin Inch, Peter Mears, Robin Pitt & Percy Marshall.

This committee approached the Oxford County Council for land to site a new Museum, and were offered a site that was originally a shingle pit. This proved to be unsuitable for a foundation. The Council then suggested that they approach the Tennis Club who had an old pavilion on the present site where the Museum is now situated. The Tennis Club agreed to let them have the land.

The Committee constructed their own bricks, made from clay taken from land near Norman Rowe’s farm on Ashley Gorge Road, which was formerly a brick kiln. They took truckloads of clay to the Whiterock Limeworks to be dried and crushed. It was then trucked back to the Museum site building site. 8000 bricks were made in a hand press by volunteer labour.

Francis Englebrecht sourced timber from local farmers which was milled locally and used in the construction of the Museum. The front doors leading from the foyer to the Museum were handmade by Bill Ward from an oak tree which was growing near the present sawmill site on Mill Road.

The doors between the original Museum building and the extension which was built approximately 1985 were the original doors from the Farmers Co-op building which is now the Oxford SuperValue Supermarket.

We rely heavily on volunteers and donations to keep the museum open at weekends and public holidays.
Our displays are constantly evolving with the arrival of new exhibits and reflect our sawmilling, farming and general home-life of our early settlers.

HISTORY OF OXFORD
The first people to travel through the Oxford forests and bush were Maori from the coastal settlements of Tuahiwi and Kaiapoi in search of food. Here there was an abundance of Weka, Pukeko, Kaka, Keruru and other native birds. A rarer delicacy, the vegetarian native black rat flourished in the Beech forest.

Further east was the Harewood Forest with swamps extended into the lowlands beyond the great forests where there were quantities of flax, cabbage tree and raupo which flourished in those days.

While Maori journeyed up the Garry, Glentui and Okuku rivers, then into the Lees valley and further south there is little evidence of established stays at the Oxford area beyond the finding of cooking pits paved with small stones which have been uncovered early on in parts of the district settled in the mid 1800’s.

In 1848 the Canterbury Association sent Captain Joseph Thomas from the UK as agent and chief surveyor. After his report of exploring the Canterbury plains from the Ashburton River to the Waipara River the Association dispatched the first four colonist ships to Lyttelton. Some of Oxford’s first settlers were passengers in those ships.

The principal reason for Oxford's development was forestry related industries and farming. Oxford Beech trees provided the best timber for the saw mills which fringed the beautiful Harewood Forest. The first steam mill began operating in 1860 but by 1869 there were only two steam mills and at least twelve pairs of pit-sawyers still operating in the area.

The Great Oxford Fire 14th January 1898
There were two fires burning. One from Lees Valley and one from Coopers Creek. The prevalent Norwest wind fanned the flames to burn through a major part of the beech forest. It swept through 26 homes and several sawmills. This meant large numbers of workers had to leave town to make their living. The fire burnt out at Ashley Gorge Rd and sparks were seen blowing in the wind 5-7kms towards Carleton. There are many stories of valiant efforts by local people to save their families, property and livestock.

Ngā momo kohinga -
Collection Strengths

Social history

Ngā wāhi -
Facilities

  • Archives

  • Reference library

  • Wheelchair access

  • Function space

  • Toilets

  • Parking

  • Other facilities

    Public Toilets (wheelchair access)

    Attached to the Museum building is a meeting room and kitchen. This is often used for public meetings and special focus groups, who may also request access to the museum. This meeting room (Jaycee Room) can be hired through Oxford Service Centre for a fee.
    Contact Oxford Service centre, 34 Main Street, Oxford.

Whakapā mai -
Contact

Kei te mahere -
On the map