Nineteenth-Century Domestic Life
The Victorian Rooms exhibition offers a direct window into early colonial domestic households across Marlborough. As pastoral runs and township settlements took root during the mid-to-late nineteenth century, families adapted European furnishings to regional pioneer homesteads.
The installation presents fully appointed domestic settings, featuring authentic period furniture, cast-iron parlour stoves, kerosene lighting fixtures, lace textiles, and personal heirlooms donated by early Marlborough families.
Regional Decorative Arts & Ceramics
Alongside period household interiors, the exhibition highlights significant regional craft traditions that emerged out of Marlborough's unique geology and creative community.
Elizabeth Lissaman Pottery
Recognised as a pioneer of New Zealand studio pottery, Elizabeth Lissaman began working with local clays in Marlborough during the 1920s. The collection features her distinctive earthenware vessels, glazed decorative tiles, and hand-thrown works that helped define twentieth-century provincial craft.
Fran Maguire Collection
The display also celebrates the sculptural ceramic work of Fran Maguire. Her textured, atmospheric pottery reflects the colours and forms of the regional Marlborough environment, forming a link between historic handcraft traditions and contemporary regional art.
Plan Your Museum Visit
The Victorian Rooms and ceramic exhibits are included in general admission. Open Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
