The Mighty River Waikato runs through Waikato Museum

The Mighty River Waikato: from Hinaki to Hydropower opens at Waikato Museum on Saturday, 27 October 2007 signifying a landmark destination exhibition that is a first for the museum.

Sponsored by Mighty River Power and Environment Waikato, The Mighty River Waikato focuses on the Waikato region’s natural heritage from a scientific perspective. The first exhibition of its kind, The Mighty River Waikato uniquely draws upon other disciplines spanning social history, visual arts and tangata whenua to present comprehensive information about the Waikato River’s diverse attributes.

Highlights of the exhibition include an impressionistic scene of Waikato in the deep past, a purpose-built discovery centre called the River Station where visitors can use modern wentzscopes and investigative tools to examine river specimens and an interactive hydropower generation display showcasing the beneficial use of water.

Waikato Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala says that the exhibition takes a uniquely local focus in examining the relationship between science and the region’s natural heritage, of which the Waikato River is a central part.

“The Mighty River Waikato is a distinctive exhibition that will hold different attractions for different people ranging from informative appeal to emotional connection. To achieve this full spectrum of appeal, the exhibition has drawn upon other disciplines in an exciting departure from the museum’s traditional science offerings to extend an experience with greater reach and relevance to our local community and visitors to our city.

“The Waikato River has always been a central feature of our local community and history. Over time, the river has served our community in a variety of ways from acting as a transport highway and rich food source for early Maori who gathered eels in a fish trap known as a hinaki to the modern-day generation of hydropower. The continued preservation and use of the Waikato River has demanded a merging of cultural and scientific knowledge and The Mighty River Waikato exhibition brings to life the relationships of science and culture to our region’s natural heritage.”