MOTAT Collection Storehouse Tour

Imagine hundreds of thousands of museum objects, lovingly stored and hidden from public view at a secret location.

Charlotte Taylor

Visitor experience, Cornwall Park

MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology) spans two public sites at Te Wai Ōrea (Western Springs), connected by its much-loved heritage trams. Since opening in 1964, its collection has grown to more than 300,000 objects celebrating Kiwi innovation and ingenuity.

Visitors see only a fraction of these on display. The rest live a carefully managed life in MOTAT’s storehouse collections facility, normally hidden from public view.

On a chilly June morning, INNZ members were guided through the facility by brilliant Director of Collections Alba Letts, who shared the secrets of the stacks. Exploring the storehouse recalled the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. An enormous and unending warehouse filled with marvels that ‘belong in a museum’ sprawled before us.

INNZ members circle our amazing guide Director of Collections Alba Letts as she shares information about the vast vehicle collection.

More than storage

Every aisle, support, storage system and workbench revealed the careful thinking that goes into preserving objects while keeping them accessible for research, exhibitions, and future generations.

One highlight for the collections enthusiasts amongst the group was the custom box-making machine. This allows the MOTAT team to create tailored housing for every collection item, from a tiny engineering component to an oversized tool. Alba mentioned they’re open to helping out colleagues across the sector, so you know who to call if you need a custom archival box!

Unveiling the box making machine. With ex Smithsonian missile in the background. Make sure to ask for the story of this missile on your tour.

Elsewhere, purpose-built bicycle supports, photography stations and carefully designed storage systems demonstrated that conservation is every bit as creative as exhibition design.

Then came an unexpected celebrity: Sir Edmund Hillary's modified Massey Ferguson tractor used in Antarctica, resting inside a Carcoon. These temperature-stabilised systems were designed to protect supercars but can be custom made to fit all kinds of vehicles. An awesome reminder that solutions can be found in entirely different industries.

Sir Edmund Hillary's modified Massey Ferguson tractor from the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition securely nestled in a Carcoon.

Collections are living things

Conversation turned to our own experiences managing collections, records and storage across very different organisations - from plants to artwork, biodiversity monitoring to heritage documents. One of the most interesting discussions wasn't about what MOTAT collects, but what it chooses not to keep.

Like many organisations, MOTAT is managing the legacy of more than 60 years of collecting. As cataloguing continues, previously unrecorded objects are still being discovered, proving there are still surprises hiding in the storehouse.

Helen Clark's motorcycle lovingly restored to factory condition by volunteers. Credit: Jessica Gommers

Alongside documenting these discoveries, the collections team is carefully reviewing material to ensure the collection continues to support MOTAT's vision and strategic direction. Responsible deaccessioning, collaboration with original donors and partnerships with specialist organisations all play an important role in ensuring significant objects remain accessible while strengthening the stories MOTAT is best placed to tell.

For many attendees, particularly those without museum collections in their day-to-day work, this offered a fascinating insight into the ongoing decisions that shape interpretation long before an exhibition opens. Whether managing a museum collection, a historic site or a regional park, every organisation makes choices about which stories to prioritise and how best to care for the places and objects that tell them.

Alba shares how their custom boxes temporarily hold items found in the collection that have been temporarily accessioned in order to eventually deaccession them.

Pulling back the curtain

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the afternoon was hearing how MOTAT is inviting the public into this normally unseen space.

Rather than creating a polished, behind-the-scenes version of museum work, Alba shared that the goal is authenticity. Visitors experience the Storehouse as a working environment, complete with the carefully organised "museum mess" that keeps the collection alive. A few protective covers might be removed from particularly interesting objects, but otherwise, what visitors see is the real thing.

INNZ members were fortunate to venture even further, exploring the soft materials store where historic uniforms, textiles and vintage airline bags sparked conversations ranging from textile conservation to the glamorous days of air travel past. Discussion of controlling moths and pests in collections sparked shudders equivalent to Indiana Jones’ fear of snakes.

Discussions of moths in the fabric store elicited shivers.

INNZ events

Events like this are a wonderful way to spark conversations, inspiration and connections with fellow interpreters. Whether your "collection" is historic machinery, native bush, a public garden or a local story, there's always something to learn from seeing how others interpret and care for theirs. You never know what doors might open or treasures you will uncover. And INNZ guarantees all boulders at future events will remain static.

Tour MOTAT's Storehouse

You too can experience the wonders of MOTAT's Storehouse on one of their public tours. Check their website for the latest listing.

Charlotte Taylor is passionate about interpretation, museums and immersive visitor experiences. Through public programmes and exhibitions, she helps visitors uncover new layers of meaning and connection as they explore Cornwall Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.