The rich narratives of Southland history are revealed through a carefully curated collection of objects in the latest He Waka Tuia exhibition Heirloom.

To coincide with Heritage Month, the He Waka Tuia team has chosen items from different Southland collections to tell the story of different families in the region.

He Waka Tuia manager Sarah Brown said this was very much an artefact-based exhibition with objects selected from various collections such as Te Kupeka Tiaki Taoka Southern Regional Collections Trust, Te Hikoi in Riverton, and from the museums at Wyndham, Mataura, Gore and Bluff.

“The objects are interesting by themselves, but stories add another layer to it, so here we have included a glimpse into the lives of the people who once cherished these items.”

Some are fairly self-explanatory, such as military uniforms, while others need a deeper look, like the mourning broach made from the hair of a mother’s deceased children.

“This exhibition shows how unique and different families and cultures are, and how they all intertwine into Southland’s history. It really is interesting to see how we all fit together.”

The exhibition also features an interactive memory wall where visitors can immortalise their personal stories, inviting them to craft a postcard that tells of their own special heirloom, which is then displayed for other guests to discover.

Heirloom runs until 4 May at He Waka Tuia. For more information on the exhibition and other events running alongside it, visit the He Waka Tuia Facebook page.