collections
about our Collections
The Collections have a Wellington history focus, including its civic, social, cultural, maritime and economic development. They have been established through the transferral of material from the Wellington Maritime Museum Trust, the Colonial Cottage Trust and the Cable Car Museum. READ MORE about our Collections
Plimmer's Ark
Beneath what is now a central city building, the remains of a sailing ship were uncovered in 1997. The remains were the hull sections of the 1848 sailing ship Inconstant which became a warehouse known as Plimmer's Ark. At two conservation sites the Plimmer’s Ark Project tells the story of the Inconstant - of Plimmer’s Ark and its owner John Plimmer - and shows the conservation of the timber remains of the Ark. READ MORE Plimmer's Ark
cataloguing
This is a systematic documentation of the museum’s vast Collections, recording the physical details and location of each object and then searching museum records to collate all relevant information. The Museum uses Vernon Systems (a computer-based object cataloguing system) to catalogue its objects, with the majority of work completed by our wonderful Museum volunteers. Find out about our current cataloguing projects. READ MORE cataloguing
research
Items in the Collections are available to other institutions for research purposes or for general public viewing. READ MORE research
resources
Find out more information on Wellington history with our fact sheets or view the entire exhibition archive. READ MORE resources
Carved Wooden Head (part of the Museums Wellington Collections)
This carved wooden head once adorned the Albert Hotel which stood on the corner of Willis and Boulcott Street (now Hotel St George). Known to many at the time as the Old Identities Hotel, it was built around 1877 and featured the wooden heads of many prominent and influential Wellington businessmen. These heads give an insight into the importance of Wellington’s colonial history, and how Wellington was shaped by these important individuals. Whilst many are known, some heads cannot be identified.
One of 29 heads in the Museums Wellington collections, this head, carved from Totara wood, belongs to John Plimmer. The Father of Wellington, as he would later be known, arrived from England in 1841 and began plying his trade as a carpenter building first brick then wooden houses due to the unpopularity of brick buildings after the 1848 and 1855 earthquakes. He also built many hotels around Wellington including the Albert.
In 1850 he purchased the wreck of the Inconstant, which was wrecked entering Wellington Harbour, and converted this to a warehouse and store which became known as Plimmer’s Ark. The remains of this ship can be seen at the Old Bank Arcade where they were rediscovered during its restoration in 1997.
Over the years Plimmer was heavily involved in local body and provincial affairs becoming a member of the first Wellington City Council in 1879, a founding member of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and a promoter of the Wellington Manawatu Railway Company.
Plimmer died in 1905 and was buried in Bolton Street Memorial Park. His statue can be seen at the bottom of Plimmer Steps off Lambton Quay.