Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)

When we moved out of the family home after 50 years, we emptied the spice straw dell.

Some of it belonged at Motat and he probably continued to use that spice.

And when I taught, plus 20 plus years, some of that spice had been in there.

It was quite disturbing.

Well, I didn't know that before.

Dear Science, thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow.

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endured that.

And then at MOTAT, I got involved in building with Jeff Rodliff, the replica Pierce airplane.

Yes,

yep.

And then we got to display the aeroplane on various occasions.

And then the last part of that was 100 years of aviation in Britain.

I was then at the MOTAT, in charge of MOTAT, that program.

We put the airplane to bits and were given money.

Yes, thanks very much, lovely to be with you.

Now, I can just say, before we get into it, my young son, he's eight, and every time he goes past, absolutely fascinated by the trams in Motat.

And it's just amazing, James, how often they are packed on the weekends.

They really enthrall people, do they not, the Motat trams?

Oh, absolutely.

And, of course, the tramway is the vital link between the two museum sites and the zoo.

So we're doing a transport service ourselves at Motat.

Yeah.

He was one of New Zealand's first and foremost agricultural journalists and photographers, and now a collection of his photos has received international recognition.

Our guest this week, Malcolm Duffy, helped bring Ron's images of the 1930s and 40s together for display at Motat in Auckland.

They were very beautiful and it took a bit of research to understand the context and the place of this photography in the New Zealand context.

but they were still remarkable very very crisp and clear photography done in natural light of course because he was out in the field and that there was a real sense of intimacy between ron vine and his subjects especially when it came to the farmers the farm workers there was a real sense of pride in their work that came through and I think Ron Vine's attention to detail in all matters is really a feature of his photography.

We know that that's very important in the agricultural sector.

If the farmers aren't aware of the sort of problems and outputs of their land and their stock over the previous decades, it's hard to find a way forward that's going to be productive.

And I guess a lot of people will be able to sort of revel in nostalgia if they go to Motat and see this collection in person.

Absolutely.

Okay.

MOTAT.

Ooh, okay.

Ooh, okay.

They'll be buzzing about the, um, new train.

[laughs]

According to the random name generator, Claudia, who works at MOTAT?

Okay, let me generate a name.

Now, look, they're not alone.

MOTAT, uh, the museum in Auckland, is also desperately needing $16 million.

There's something about museums and zoos that they haven't been making money lately.

So I'm joined now by Orana Park's trust board co-chair.

Okay.

But the market is saying, "We don't care about your lions.

We don't want to come." And they're saying the same thing to MOTAT.

There seems to be a move away from this when everything's online.