Talk: Caring for Early Photographs

23 Oct 2025

Coming Soon: Exhibit - 20 years of Hands-on Education

16 Oct 2025

Talk: Caring for Early Photographs

08 Oct 2025

Research services - Change of hours

02 Oct 2025

Science talk - 40 years aviation and space experience

19 Sep 2025

September School holidays

18 Sep 2025

Museum talk : the Last 50 Million Years

04 Sep 2025

Downtown History Walks

02 Sep 2025

New exhibit: Herstory of Women's Rugby

06 Aug 2025

More Downtown Historic Walks

11 Jul 2025

Downtown Historic Walks

26 Jun 2025

2025 July School holidays

26 Jun 2025

The Timaru Four - book launch

04 Jun 2025

2025 Biodiversity Day talk - Repeat!!

01 May 2025

Museum Director Philip Howe presents an illustrated talk and tour of Museum exhibits focussed on...

2025 April School Holidays at the Museum

09 Apr 2025

Research Room - 27 March - change of hours

25 Mar 2025

Talk: Painted wings of Summer

27 Jan 2025

Retro Rock 25

24 Jan 2025

Opening Friday : Operation Grapple

04 Nov 2024

2024 School Holidays

26 Sep 2024

COme in to the Museum these school holidays for some free fun!

Little Known Locals - International Biodiversity Day talk

11 Apr 2024

On 22 May this illustrated talk will explore little known locals on International Biodiversity Day

International Museums Day talk

11 Apr 2024

On 18 May, International Museums Day, this illustrated talk will explore our new facility plans.

Gallipoli Campaign - Anzac Day Talk

11 Apr 2024

On 24 April this talk will look back at the pivotal Gallipoli campaign.

Summer Insect Hunt

05 Jan 2024

Come and explore the Timaru Botanical Gardens to find all sorts of insects!

Sunsational Challenge returns!

12 Dec 2023

The Sunsational Challenge returns - check out the details here!

Christmas & New Year - Holiday Hours

12 Dec 2023

Check out our holiday openign hours here!

Heritage Alive!

17 Nov 2023

Join us for our annual Christmas Market Day and Heritage Party on Saturday 25 November!

Sabaton - online premiere!

01 Nov 2023

A unique movie premiere s coming to Timaru on 11 November! Find out more here.

Science Talk: Wastes: Changing psychologies for better resource use

05 Oct 2023

Design our next exhibition badge!

29 Sep 2023

We need a fabulous badge for our Explorers’ Club for our next exhibition - could...

Spring School holiday programme

19 Sep 2023

What’s on at the Museum these holidays?

2023 Museum News - Autumn - out now!

27 Apr 2023

History talk: Heavenly Jerusalem - an architectural study

24 Apr 2023

2023 April School holidays

06 Apr 2023

What's on these school holidays?

Science talk - a sunny future

24 Mar 2023

Dr Michael Price will present an illustrated talk about the evolving technology behind solar panels...

Science talk : Shark Spy - recording our marine life

15 Feb 2023

Rob Lewis, science communicator will talk about work on the Shark Spy and citizen science...

Retro Rock 2023

13 Feb 2023

Retro Rock at the Museum is back! Retro Rock 2023 is happening on Saturday 18...

Sunsational Challenge Live Prize Draw!

20 Jan 2023

Fossil hunt

06 Jan 2023

Free Kids Holiday activity - Fossil hunt. Find out more here!...

Inside - our Summer Museum News out now!

04 Jan 2023

Catch up with what has been happening in the Museum in the summer edition of...

Sunsational Challenge returns in January 2023!

05 Dec 2022

The Sunsational Challenge returns in January 2023! Check out more details here.

Science talk - Biology of NZ spiders - plus field trip!

27 Oct 2022

Join Dr Cor Vink will talk about NZ spiders - then join him at Otipua...

Science talk: Ernest Rutherford: some facts you didn't know

13 Oct 2022

Retired physicist John Campbell will explore NZ pioneer physicist Ernest Rutherford on the date of...

What’s on at the Museum these holidays?

28 Sep 2022

Check out what's on these October holidays!

Research services return to normal hours of operation!

15 Sep 2022

We’re pleased to announce that our research room will be returning to pre-Covid operation from...

History talk:  Pioneer Aviator Oscar Garden

12 Sep 2022

Join us on 20 September to hear about Oscar Garden’s pioneer aviation story.

Science talk : Waitaki Geopark- from Gondwana to today

26 Aug 2022

Our public talks are back! Hear about the beginnings of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark.

July School Holidays 2022

06 Jul 2022

What’s on at the Museum these holidays?

Sunday research service returns!

14 Jun 2022

We’re pleased to announce our Sunday research service re-opens this Sunday (19 June)

Lunar Eclipse viewing

10 May 2022

Join local astronomers to view this partial eclipse on Monday 16 May

WEBINAR : Anne Frank, let me be myself!

14 Mar 2022

Watch now: Boyd Klap's presentation about Anne Frank and his own experiences during World War...

Seaweek 2022

03 Mar 2022

Take part in local Seaweek celebrations with a competition at the Museum!

History talk: House churches in the first century

03 Nov 2021

Online talk: World Space Week 2021

05 Oct 2021

Celebrate World Space Week with us this Friday with an online expert presentation.

2021 October Holiday Activities

01 Oct 2021

Check out what's on at the Museum these holidays!

Science talk : How can we tell what Mars is made of?

14 Jul 2021

Join us for the latest in our 2021 series of Royal Society talks

2021 July Holiday Programme

08 Jul 2021

Check out what's on at the Museum these July holidays!

Science talk : The life & death of stars in our galaxy

03 Jun 2021

Dr Karen Pollard will take us on a journey to understand our place in the...

Science talk : Timaru's Clay - insight's into past climates

07 May 2021

Soil scientist Peter Almond will explore how the large loess clay deposits in our region...

Science talk : Darwin, cousin marriage and genetics

13 Apr 2021

Professor Hamish Spencer will discuss how and why attitudes to close relations marriages vary around...

2021 April School Holidays

13 Apr 2021

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays!

Infections, diseases, COVID & vaccinations

23 Mar 2021

An illustrated talk about how new infectious diseases emerge, the impact of COVID-19, vaccinations and...

Ancient Greece in Aotearoa

11 Mar 2021

On 18 March Terri Elder will present an illustrated talk about the incredible collection of...

Retro Rock 21

09 Feb 2021

Retro Rock returns on Saturday 13 February 2021. Come along from 7 to 10.30pm to...

Summer Holiday Programme

06 Jan 2021

There's lots to do at the Museum these holidays!

Heritage Alive

12 Nov 2020

Heritage Alive 2020 is coming! Join St Mary's Church, SC Historical Society and South Canterbury...

Fossil talk: Saving Foulden Maar

12 Nov 2020

Dr Daphne Lee (University of Otago) is presenting an illustrated talk about the fight to...

Whakamana o te Tamariki - 75 years of South Canterbury Kindergartens

20 Oct 2020

Exhibition opening : Whakamana o te Tamariki - 75 years of South Canterbury Kindergartens opens...

It's all Greek to Me - The New Testament in text and translation

08 Oct 2020

Dr Katie Marcar, Teaching Fellow at University of Otago, will give an illustrated talk about...

Sept/Oct Holiday Programme

24 Sep 2020

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays.

Science Vs Religion

22 Sep 2020

This week a new talk presented by the South Canterbury museum in association with the...

Busiest July on record for South Canterbury Museum

11 Aug 2020

South Canterbury Museum has seen a post lockdown boost, recording its busiest July on record....

Heritage Education - back for Term 3!

29 Jul 2020

July Holidays

26 Jun 2020

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays.

Moving to Alert Level 1

09 Jun 2020

As we move to Aleret Level 1, business returns to normal.

We're Back! The Museum reopens on 19 May

13 May 2020

The Museum reopens under Alert Level 2 from Tuesday 19 May

New: Heritage@Home

23 Apr 2020

Teaching resources for supporting education online

Lockdown special activities

04 Apr 2020

During the lockdown we're offering a range of ways to keep yourself amused.

Museum Closed

23 Mar 2020

Due to heightened concern over the risk of COVID-19 transmission the Museum is closed until...

Suspension of Genealogical Society assistance (Sundays)

19 Mar 2020

We're Still open

19 Mar 2020

In light of Covid-19 restrictions, we're still open, with some changes to upcoming events.

Squawkzilla & the Giants Amazing discoveries from New Zealand’s Past

20 Feb 2020

A illustrated talk about recent fossil discoveries made in the South Island: giant penguins and...

Expert talk: Sacred Heart Basilica: “a treasure for the whole town”

20 Jan 2020

Sacred Heart Basilica is Timaru’s most impressive building, a stunning piece of architecture on the...

RR2020: Retro Rock at the Museum

09 Jan 2020

Get ready to blast back in time with a free outdoor rock concert featuring music...

2020 January school holiday programme

27 Dec 2019

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays. Come and experience...

NOW ON: A Timaru Landmark

14 Nov 2019

Explore the renewal of the Sacred Heart Basilica in our newest exhibition, open until 9...

Heritage Alive!

07 Nov 2019

Join the South Canterbury Museum, South Canterbury Historical Society and St Mary’s Church to celebrate...

2019 Sept/Oct Holiday Programme

25 Sep 2019

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays. There are fascinating...

Pompeii - an archaeological talk

09 Sep 2019

Join us on 16 September as former Museum volunteer Robyn Cooper talk's about her archaeological...

Teachers @ the Museum

03 Sep 2019

A fun time for local teachers on 17 October to explore and learn a bit...

Book Launch: The Shearers

03 Jul 2019

Come along to the launch of The Shearers on Friday 9 August at 7pm

2019 July School Holidays

02 Jul 2019

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays - find out...

NEW Super Explorers launch!

08 Apr 2019

We’re pleased to announce a new level to our Explorer programme - SUPER Explorers!

Publication launch - Enduring the Inferno

02 Apr 2019

The launch of Enduring the Inferno, commemorating the South Canterbury experience of World War One....

Retro Rock at the Museum!

27 Mar 2019

FREE outdoor rock gig at the Museum!

Book Launch: Landscape of Dreams

06 Dec 2018

Join us on 13 December for the launch of an exciting new local book: "South...

Heritage Alive!

05 Dec 2018

Join with the South Canterbury Museum and St Mary's Church as we celebrate local heritage...

Live History

15 Nov 2018

Live History is coming at the end of the month - don’t miss this chance...

Education programme - Term Four

11 Oct 2018

Teachers - check out some of the programmes available for your classes in Term 4!

Illustrated Nature Talk

26 Sep 2018

Visiting plant ecologist Nicholas Head will be discussing why limestone ecosystems are so important..

October Holiday programme

25 Sep 2018

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays. Come and experience...

125th Suffrage Celebrations

19 Sep 2018

The South Canterbury Museum is hosting the NCWSC and Zonta Club of Timaru's 125 Suffrage...

Talk - New Zealand Seismology and Timaru’s George Hogben

19 Sep 2018

An illustrated talk by Dr Glen Vallender, Sunday 30 September 2pm

Melodrama to Migrants

12 Sep 2018

Floor talk - Hermann Frank

07 Sep 2018

This weekend - Exhibition floor talk, Sunday 9 Sept 2-3pm

A fascination with Limestone

27 Aug 2018

An illustrated talk by Hermann Frank about the plants and creatures of our limestone landscapes.

2018 July School Holidays

02 Jul 2018

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays. Come and experience...

Museum News - April 2018

29 May 2018

Catch up with events around the Museum in our latest newsletter

Museum wins International Dance-off 2018!

16 May 2018

Thanks to massive community support we did it!

Museum Dance off 2018 - NZ Round

18 Apr 2018

South Canterbury Museum wins the first (NZ) round of the International Museum Dance Off, 2018

The 70s Show

26 Jan 2018

Enjoy a free live show outside the Museum, Saturday 17 February from 7 10pm!

Museum News - Summer 2017

13 Dec 2017

Catch up with events around the Museum in our summer newsletter

Heritage Alive: Christmas Market Day and Heritage Party

24 Nov 2017

Join with South Canterbury Museum and St Mary’s Church as we celebrate local heritage and...

In Flanders Fields

25 Aug 2017

On 11-13 October, the Museum will host this commemorative short play with music - find...

2017 Museum News - Winter

21 Jul 2017

It's been a while, but delve into our latest newsletter to find out more about...

Explorers we need you!

16 May 2017

Explorers- Your Museum Needs You! Can you help us out?

Upgrade - Stage One OPEN!!

02 May 2017

The first stage of our new permanent upstairs exhibition space opened last month. Guests at...

April School Holiday Programme

13 Apr 2017

Your Museum is a great place to explore our heritage these holidays - check out...

Salt to Silicon

02 Feb 2017

Focused on the development of photographic technology to the digital era of today, the exhibit...

Christmas Market Day and Heritage Party

06 Dec 2016

Join with South Canterbury Museum and St Mary’s Church as we celebrate the Museum building’s...