Origins
The Otago Museum grew out of a suggestion, in the early 1860s, that colonial, gold-rich Otago should publicly exhibit a representative collection of its diverse rocks. When Provincial Geologist James Hector’s collection of 5,000 rocks and minerals went on display at the trade-promoting New Zealand Exhibition in Dunedin in 1865, the Provincial Government of Otago decided to act on the suggestion, by then enlarged to envision a museum of natural history. A steering committee was formed but nothing emerged, largely because of a lack of funds and a suitable location.

In July 1868, the impetus for a museum was revived, and this time rooms were made available in the Post Office building in Dunedin’s Exchange area. On 15 September that year the Otago Museum was opened to the public. The following year the University of Otago moved into the same building – the beginning of a long-standing link between the two institutions. 

As its collections grew, the Museum clearly needed larger, purpose-built accommodation. The Museum’s existing site at 419 Great King Street was selected and the foundation laid in December 1874. On 11 August 1877, at a cost of ₤12,500, the Otago Museum’s new building, bearing Grecian lines and two galleries, was opened. 

In the same year, management of the Museum passed to the University. The Otago Museum and Dunedin Athenaeum Act of 1877 vested ‘all buildings, exhibits and other property connected with the Museum’ in trust to the University – an arrangement that lasted almost 80 years. At one time the Museum housed the Departments of Geology (including the School of Mines), Zoology, Botany and Anthropology. It became a highly-regarded teaching museum and professors of natural science comprised its early directors, known then as curators. By 1929, the Otago Museum was considered the finest teaching museum in the Commonwealth.

The first substantial addition, the Hocken Wing (1910), housed Dr Thomas Morland Hocken’s collection of books and manuscripts on the upper floor and a Maori Hall based on artefacts in his collections on the lower level. Another new wing, named for benefactor Willi Fels, opened in October 1930. It currently houses the People of the World and Tangata Whenua Galleries.

Without electricity until 1931, the Museum had no heating or lighting other than what was naturally available. At times classes were postponed because of the cold.

Following the enactment of the Otago Museum Trust Board Act 1955, the University ceased to manage the Museum. The new Trust Board was authorised to attract funding from various local authorities in the Otago region. Today, the Dunedin City Council, Clutha District Council, Central Otago District Council and Waitaki District Council are the principal funders. 

Significant expansion of the Museum occurred in 1963, when the Centennial Wing was opened to accommodate the Pacific and Nature Galleries. By now the Museum had several times its original floor area, and the ad hoc development had produced a layout confusing to visitors.

The 1990s proved to be a decade of transformation. In 1991 the Museum opened its interactive science centre, Discovery World, the first attraction of its kind in New Zealand, and in 1993 work began on a major redevelopment project that was achieved in two stages. The first stage was completed in 1996, the second in 2002. Under the second stage, the Museum gained a spectacular integrating atrium, a small theatre (Barclay Theatre), a Search Centre, a purpose-built special exhibition area and extra space for improved storage of collection items. The project achieved a milestone in August 2002 with the opening of the 1,200 sq m Southern Land, Southern People Gallery. The Tropical Forest opened in 2007.

Leadership
With the first three curators all being prominent scientists, Otago Museum was destined to make its mark as a natural science museum. Frederick Wollaston Hutton, Curator 1873-79, formerly the Otago Provincial Geologist, worked hard to bring the collections together before getting offside with the University authorities. For one thing, he upset the University Chancellor by allowing the Museum to open on Sundays.

His successor, Thomas Jeffery Parker, an outstanding researcher and one of New Zealand’s greatest biologists, organised the natural history specimens along Darwinian lines during his tenure from 1880 to 1897. He articulated many of the skeletons still on display in the Animal Attic, some still with their original impeccably handwritten labels. The humanities collections were started in Parker’s time, prompted by the 1893 donation of an Egyptian mummy by Bendix Hallenstein, an early benefactor of the Museum. 

Spanning the 19th and 20th centuries as head of the Otago Museum was Professor William Benham, a scientist of world renown, who was appointed Curator in 1898. He held the position for 39 years. He also held the University Chair of Biology and taught zoology, botany and paleontology. For his contribution to science and education, he was knighted in 1939.

The Museum’s first New Zealand-born Director was Henry Devenish Skinner, who was in charge from 1937 to 1957. A founding father of anthropology in New Zealand, and considered by many to be the father of Pacific anthropology, Dr Skinner was appointed lecturer in anthropology at Otago University in 1919 – the first such post in the Southern Hemisphere and one closely linked to the Museum, in which he also served, initially as Assistant Curator and Hocken Librarian.

Whereas his predecessors had focussed mainly on natural science collections, Dr Skinner built up the Museum’s cultural side. In his time, the collections of Maori and Pacific items grew significantly. Through his links with the members of the Dunedin business community, Willi Fels in particular, he encouraged the collection of antiquities from the Mediterranean and Middle East, and fine arts from Europe and Asia. He also launched a substantial programme of archaeological research into New Zealand pre-history.

In 1957, succeeding Dr Skinner as Director, Dr Raymond Forster ushered in a period of intense research in the biological sciences at the Museum. He himself became a world authority on the biology and classification of New Zealand Spiders. He brought together a collection considered world class today.

Richard Cassels became Director after Dr Forster in 1987. He began a process of trying to focus the Museum responsibilities to the wider community. During his time as Director, the Museum Board made a commitment to the establishment of a science centre.

Shimrath Paul was appointed in 1990 to set up and run the science centre, Discovery World. The planned expansion of the centre in 1994 provided the impetus for exploring the redevelopment of the whole Museum. Shimrath took over the reins in 1994 and was formally appointed as the Director in 1995. He has implemented comprehensive business strategies into the organisation, while continuing to focus on collection care and providing an outstanding visitor experience. During Shimrath’s time an 18 million dollar redevelopment has been planned, fundraised for and completed, and the Museum has become a truly customer focused community organisation presenting a large number of exhibitions, programmes and events to an increasingly diverse audience. In 2003, for the first time, visitor numbers reached over 300,000 per year. The following year, 2004, marked a Museum record of 335,000 visitors.

Shimrath has seen the Museum through an era of recognition marked by various tourism related awards. In both 2001 and 2002, the Otago Museum was honoured with finalist status for New Zealand Tourism’s Heritage Attraction Award. In 2004, the Museum was judged the best ‘Cultural and Heritage Attraction’ in New Zealand and received Qualmark’s highest honour, the ‘Tourism Mark of Quality Award.’ In November of 2004 the Otago Museum was granted the Westpac Otago Chamber of Commerce ‘Supreme Business Award.’ Continuing the record of achievement, 2005 has proved as successful as previous years.  In September 2005 the Otago Museum was judged the best ‘Culture and Heritage Attraction’ in New Zealand, won a distinction award for being the winner of a major category for three consecutive years and was the major category winner for Visitor Activities and Attractions!