On Friday 21 May, Level 2 and Level 3 History students, accompanied by Mrs Bermingham and Mr Robertson, visited Shantytown to gather evidence for their research assignments. The Level 2 students are focussing on Chinese migrants to Aotearoa during the 19th Century. The Level 3 students were investigating a range of topics and issues related to Aotearoa Histories.

The students were welcomed by Ms Lisa Barbour who gave a brief introduction to Shantytown and the processes expected by students. This was followed up by some time for the students to familiarise themselves with the village and the range of hands-on exhibits and resources available. The Level 2 students immediately visited the Chinatown section, where they were able to gather information from the storyboards and other memorabilia.

The next session was initially based in the school room with Sheri Murphy, the collections supervisor. She is responsible for gathering, maintaining, and documenting the precious and often delicate range of historical resources stored at Shantytown. Sheri explained the processes behind caring for the resources and accessing them for research purposes. The group then visited the storage facility for these resources and were able to view examples of photos, documents, clothing and other items stored securely. The need for a custom built, temperature controlled storage facility to maintain these resources was evident.

Students spent the remainder of the day gathering information for their studies from the array of exhibits available throughout the village. Every building was filled with valuable artefacts, supported by storyboards explaining their significance. It was a valuable learning experience!

Thanks must go to the staff and volunteers from Shantytown who maintain this wonderful heritage facility. In particular special thanks to Lisa and Sheri for supporting our students’ learning.