NZ Hunter – August 2019

New Zealand Deserves a

Hunting

Museum

For the past 19 years a

dedicated group of volunteers

have amassed a valuable, rare,

and museum grade collection

of hunting and outdoors related

items – including rare artefacts,

books, gear and equipment,

photographs, firearms, trophies,

and taxidermy.

The Heritage Trust owns a

grand 1910s villa located

a stone’s throw away from

Parliament, National Archives,

National Reference Library, and

the many other museums in

Wellington’s CBD.

The project is sponsored

and run by members of the

New Zealand Deerstalkers

Association Inc. (NZDA)

and will be funded in a

collaboration among the

Heritage Trust, NZDA, and the

NZDA Wellington Branch. The

Lottery Environment and

Heritage Grants Board is

granting the Heritage Trust

$500,000 towards project costs.

An existing building will form

the basis of the museum, which

is a large, high-stud, multi-room,

character villa, with a grand

wooden staircase. That building

will be extensively renovated

and upgraded to meet modern

museum standards. At the

same time a new contemporary

extension will be developed

to create a

purpose-built

gallery, education and display

space.

The museum will be open to

general public where it will be a

hunting museum and reference

library. The main gallery can

be hired out for events and

functions. Hunters and non-

hunters alike will be able to

visit the Heritage Trust to see

and experience the collections

covering items of cultural and

historical importance.

The outcomes and benefits

of this project include:

• National hunting museum
  and archive to protect New
  Zealand’s significant collections
  and artefacts
  
  
  • Public building offering
    access to heritage
    collections, information, and
    literature held by the Heritage
    Trust
  
  
  
  


• Enduring museum to preserve
  New Zealand’s outdoors history
  for future generations


• Purpose build education
  facility relating to the outdoors,
  big game animals, and our sport


• Central repository to foster
  a sense of sportsmanship,
  comradeship, and portray
  respect for our recreation and
  the big game animals we all
  admire
  Construction is scheduled
  to commence in September
  2019 with completion due in

2020. If you would like to help, make
      a donation of either items or
      money, please contact the
      Heritage Trust directly. The
      Heritage Trust is a registered
      charity and can issue donors a
      tax deductible donation receipt.

New Zealand has a proud hunting heritage but

unlike other proud hunting nations we do not

have a public national hunting museum.

But that is about to change thanks to a little

known charity formed in the year 2000 by a small

but insightful group of hunting history buffs. That

organisation is called the New Zealand Deerstalkers’

Association National Heritage Trust Incorporated.

WRITTEN BY ~ GWYN THURLOW

The museum houses and displays many important

hunting items, the New Zealand No. 1 Wapiti head (by

Douglas Score) being one such artefact.

This head will again be on display at the Trust’s Sika Show stand at

Taupo. The following is a brief background about the securing of

that magnificent trophy.

The brothers Edgar and Herman Nitz were farmers from the

Wairarapa and keen hunters. In those early days of the 1910s

and 1920s,

when the first

Wapiti blocks

were drawn,

the official maps

of the Wapiti

country still

showed the area

in patches of

white marked

“unexplored”.

Early in the

1920s the

brothers decided

to try for Wapiti.

In 1928 they stalked the George Sound block without success.

Better luck was had in 1930 when in the Caswell Sound block

where Edger Nitz secured a good 13 pointer, 50 ¼ inches long

and 47 ½ wide. It was Herman’s turn in 1932 when he secured a 12

pointer of 56 3/4 inches in length and 47 ½ inches wide.

In 1933 both brothers were both successful. Herman secured a

12 pointer (54 inches long and 43 inches wide) and Edger

shot the biggest Wapiti trophy on record – the one now held

at the museum. It was taken in a hanging basin that drained into

what is now called Nitz Creek in the Glaisnock Valley. The trophy is

58 inches long and 50 ½ wide with 17 points and scored 474 ¾ DS.

This incredible trophy was mounted by Les Brown, a taxidermist

from Masterton and the mount is still in remarkable condition.

When you stand below this great trophy you can’t help wondering

what other huge Wapiti bulls with magnificent heads died of

old age? There have been a number of cast antlers picked up

measuring 60 inches long – the Heritage Trust has one such cast on

display.

The Heritage Trust looks forward to being able to share this

and other treasures with all who visit the museum.

While discussing this spectacular piece of our heritage Gwyn observed

that the Nitz trophy is the largest set of antlers ever grown on

New Zealand’s public land, that we know of. A distinction I

thought worthy of mention – Luke.

The great nitz trophy

82 NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE ~August / September 2019

Events

& Politics

For the past 19 years a

dedicated group of volunteers

have amassed a valuable, rare,

and museum grade collection

of hunting and outdoors related

items – including rare artefacts,

books, gear and equipment,

photographs, firearms, trophies,

and taxidermy.

The Heritage Trust owns a

grand 1910s villa located

a stone’s throw away from

Parliament, National Archives,

National Reference Library, and

the many other museums in

Wellington’sCBD.

Theprojectis sponsored

andrunbymembersofthe

NewZealandDeerstalkers

Association Inc. (NZDA)

and will be funded in a

collaboration among the

Heritage Trust, NZDA, and the

NZDA Wellington Branch. The

Lottery Environment and

Heritage Grants Board is

granting the Heritage Trust

$500,000 towards project costs.

An existing building will form

the basis of the museum, which

is a large, high-stud, multi-room,

character villa, with a grand

wooden staircase. That building

will be extensively renovated

andupgradedtomeetmodern

museumstandards.Atthe

sametimea newcontemporary

extensionwillbedeveloped

to create a

purpose-built

gallery, education and display

space.

The museum will be open to

general public where it will be a

hunting museum and reference

library. The main gallery can

be hired out for events and

functions. Hunters and non-

hunters alike will be able to

visit the Heritage Trust to see

and experience the collections

covering items of cultural and

historical importance.

The outcomes and benefits

of this project include:

• Nationalhunting museum
  andarchivetoprotect New
  Zealand’ssignificant collections
  andartefacts
  
  
  • Public building offering
    access to heritage
    collections, information, and
    literature held by the Heritage
    Trust
  
  
  
  


• Enduring museum to preserve
  New Zealand’s outdoors history
  for future generations


• Purpose build education
  facility relating to the outdoors,
  big game animals, and our sport


• Central repository to foster
  a sense of sportsmanship,
  comradeship, and portray
  respect for our recreation and
  the big game animals we all
  admire
  Construction is scheduled
  to commence in September
  2019 with completion due in

2020. If you would like to help, make
      a donation of either items or
      money, please contact the
      Heritage Trust directly. The
      Heritage Trust is a registered
      charity and can issue donors a
      tax deductible donation receipt.

New Zealandhasa proudhuntingheritage but

unlike other proud hunting nations we do not

have a public national hunting museum.

But that is about to change thanks to a little

known charity formed in the year 2000 by a small

but insightful group of hunting history buffs. That

organisation is called the New Zealand Deerstalkers’

Association National Heritage Trust Incorporated.

WRITTEN BY ~ GWYN THURLOW

Themuseumhousesanddisplaysmanyimportant

huntingitems,theNewZealandNo.1 Wapitihead(by

Douglas Score) being one such artefact.

This head will again be on display at the Trust’s Sika Show stand at

Taupo. The following is a brief background about the securing of

that magnificent trophy.

The brothers Edgar and Herman Nitz were farmers from the

Wairarapa and keen hunters. In those early days of the 1910s

and 1920s,

when the first

Wapiti blocks

were drawn,

the official maps

of the Wapiti

country still

showed the area

in patches of

white marked

“unexplored”.

Early in the

1920s the

brothers decided

to try for Wapiti.

In 1928 theystalked the George Sound block without success.

Betterluckwashad in 1930 when in the Caswell Sound block

where Edger Nitz secured a good 13 pointer, 50 ¼ inches long

and 47 ½ wide. It was Herman’s turn in 1932 when he secured a 12

pointer of 56 3/4 inches in length and 47 ½ inches wide.

In 1933 both brothers were both successful. Herman secured a

12 pointer (54 inches long and 43 inches wide) and Edger

shot the biggest Wapiti trophy on record – the one now held

at the museum. It was taken in a hanging basin that drained into

what is now called Nitz Creek in the Glaisnock Valley. The trophy is

58 inches long and 50 ½ wide with 17 points and scored 474 ¾ DS.

This incredible trophy was mounted by Les Brown, a taxidermist

from Masterton and the mount is still in remarkable condition.

When you stand below this great trophy you can’t help wondering

what other huge Wapiti bulls with magnificent heads died of

old age? There have been a number of cast antlers picked up

measuring 60 inches long – the Heritage Trust has one such cast on

display.

The Heritage Trust looks forward to being able to share this

and other treasures with all who visit the museum.

While discussing this spectacular piece of our heritage Gwyn observed

that the Nitz trophy is the largest set of antlers ever grown on

New Zealand’s public land, that we know of. A distinction I

thought worthy of mention – Luke.

The great nitz trophy

82 NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE ~August / September 2019

Events

& Politics