The museum’s collections stem from five vast sheep stations and a swarth of early riverbank orchards established by ex-miners, with a great number of fourth and fifth generation families still operating today. We proudly celebrate the innovative spirit reflected in
our valley heritage: the largest woolshed in Australasia and the first telephone used in New Zealand. 

Other innovations in the valley included the first successful steam and current-wheeler dredges, the first public electric power scheme and the first fruit canneries. We were pioneers in the use orchard hydraulics and marketing through refrigeration and airfreight. These
achievements culminated in the establishment of the first hydroelectric dam on the Clutha River.