Every year the Mina McKenzie Memorial Lecture discusses a topic near and dear to the museum community. In 2022, Dr Bronwyn Labrum’s subject is “Stories of change and innovation in the regions: Women in New Zealand museums since the 1950s”

“Women now run most of the significant regional museums in New Zealand, including Te Manawa, and yet the figure of the museum director at a metropolitan level remains overwhelmingly male. This illustrated lecture focuses on the role of women in New Zealand museums and shows how they moved from honorary and voluntary roles to running museums over the 20th century. What did women bring to these roles? As I will show they introduced new perspectives on social history and encouraged new areas of collecting, and yet their endeavours have not been well recognized. Mina McKenzie is just one, albeit an exemplary example, and I will place her distinguished contribution in the context of these developments.”

Mina McKenzie was director of the Manawatū Museum – which became Te Manawa – from 1978 to 1994.

The lecture is from 7pm to 8pm; tea and coffee will be available afterward.