Packard and Pioneer Museum

A beautiful story about one man's love of beautiful machines greets visitors head on when they walk through the doors of the ghee storage shed of what was the Maungatapere Dairy Factory.

It is a story that started long ago and far away with Graeme Craw, a farmer and contractor from Anawhata, Waitakere. His block had included a bush railway, and as a farmer he had the greatest respect for the machines which shaped New Zealand.

"His strong interest in the Industrial Revolution and its impact on early New Zealand society led him to start preserving the machines and their stories which came out of this era. He was one of the first collectors to put together a collection of one make of vehicle, showing its chronological development in design and technology."

Starting with an 1873 steam engine, the collection continues through to production of 20th century cars, many of them his beloved Packards. The American company, Packard, concluded manufacturing in 1958 and so does Mr Craw's collection. Growth of the collection saw it move from his farm to Montana sheds at Waitakere, then on to Manugatapere. Not limited to the passenger vehicles, the museum includes impressive displays of military memorabilia, including firearms, aircraft engines and vehicles, as well as earthmoving equipment, stationary engines and motorcycles.

The collection lives on under a Trust, staffed by volunteers and managed by Mr Craw's family in this conveniently enormous shed on State Highway 14, not far from Whangarei. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm, and a definite "must see" for anyone interested in things mechanical.