Western Bay Museum
Western Bay Museum is a community charitable-trust museum in Katikati, New Zealand, preserving Western Bay of Plenty heritage through permanent and rotating exhibitions, school programmes, guided tours, Memory Trunk aged-care outreach, and major cultural events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersKatikati, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Western Bay Museum does
Western Bay Museum is a community-owned heritage museum operated by the Western Bay Heritage Trust Board (registered New Zealand charity CC53141) and located in The Old Fire Station at 32 Main Road, Katikati, in the Western Bay of Plenty region. The museum was established in 2016 by the Trust and opened to the public in 2020. Its operations rest on the cultural authority of three local hapū—Ngāi Tamawhariua, Ngāti Te Wai, and Te Whānau ā Tauwhao—along with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua. Permanent exhibitions include Te Au o Maui (Waka Tapu ceremonial canoe) and Travel through Time, complemented by rotating exhibitions such as Toki: The edge of tradition and Unexpected Heroes, plus touring shows sourced through partnerships with Te Papa and NIWA.
The museum's service offering combines on-site cultural interpretation with three paid programme lines: curriculum-aligned school programmes (including the 7+ year Taonga o te Taiao environmental education programme), guided group tours (minimum 8 guests), and the Memory Trunk outreach service to retirement care homes from Te Puke to Waihi. Its core technology footprint is limited to e-hive, an online collection management system used for cataloguing and managing taonga.
The revenue model is donation- and grant-led rather than admissions-led. General admission is free for all walk-in visitors, with koha donations welcomed. Monetised streams consist of Friends of the Museum memberships ($30 individual / $50 family annually, plus life tiers), $5 per-pupil school programme fees, paid guided tours, and select event charges. The operating gap is funded by sponsorships from Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, alongside grants and donations managed directly by Museum Manager Paula Gaelic and Strategy and Funding Specialist Michelle Crook. The museum is supported operationally by 8 full-time staff and 40+ volunteers.
Western Bay Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Western Bay Museum
- Legal name
- Western Bay Heritage Trust Board
- Website
- https://westernbaymuseum.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Western Bay Museum is a community charitable-trust museum in Katikati, New Zealand, preserving Western Bay of Plenty heritage through permanent and rotating exhibitions, school programmes, guided tours, Memory Trunk aged-care outreach, and major cultural events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Western Bay Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Heritage Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Historical Sites (71212)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK), History Museums (THAJADAB)
Keywords
Where Western Bay Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Katikati
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Western Bay Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Admissions and Donations: Free entry to all walk-in visitors with donations welcomed. As a charity, the museum depends on supporter contributions. Bank account for donations is under Western Bay Heritage Trust Board.
- Friends of the Museum Membership: Annual membership programme with tiers: Individual $30, Family $50, Life Individual $300, Life Family $500. Members receive quarterly newsletter, exhibition opening invitations, event access, and free monthly talks.
- Education Programmes: School programmes priced at $5 per person for 1.5-hour sessions. Curriculum-aligned interactive learning for primary school students.
- Museum Experiences and Tours: Guided tours (30-45 minutes) for groups with minimum 8 guests, booked via [email protected]. Public programmes and education programmes have charges. Some events have fees.
- Sponsorships and Funding: Charitable organisation dependent on support from funders, sponsors and donors. Museum Manager Paula Gaelic handles ongoing funding and sponsorship discussions. Partners include Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission |
| Subscription | Annual | Friends of the Museum Individual |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School Programme |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Tours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Friends Talks |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Western Bay Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Western Bay Museum is a heritage museum in Katikati, New Zealand, that preserves and displays taonga (treasures) through permanent and rotating exhibitions. It offers curriculum-aligned school education programmes, guided tours, an outdoor museum with Māori medicinal and heritage gardens, and outreach services such as the Memory Trunk programme for retirement villages. Operations are supported by donations, Friends membership fees, sponsorships and grants.
Product overview
Western Bay Museum is a physical museum in Katikati, New Zealand, established in 2016 under the Western Bay Heritage Trust. The museum operates as a single unified offering combining exhibitions (temporary and permanent), education programmes, community services, and membership. Core offerings include current exhibitions such as Toki: The edge of tradition, Unexpected Heroes, Te Au o Maui (Waka Tapu), and Travel through Time. Supporting services include guided tours, school programmes (Taonga o te Taiao, School Programme), Memory Trunk community service for retirement villages, and an Outdoor Museum featuring medicinal gardens and historic structures. The museum also runs annual events (Waitangi Day, Matariki), monthly Friends of the Museum Talks, and offers Friends membership. Past exhibitions span environmental, agricultural, cultural, and wartime history themes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Toki: The edge of tradition (Exhibition) Cultural exhibition exploring the history, artistry and cultural significance of toki (traditional Māori tools/adzes) through rare taonga and interactive displays, aimed at visitors seeking authentic Māori cultural experiences.
- Unexpected Heroes (Exhibition) Immersive wartime history exhibition using hologram-style storytelling, atmospheric sound and Pepper's Ghost illusion technology to share local Western Bay of Plenty wartime experiences.
- Te Au o Maui – Waka Tapu (Permanent Exhibition) Permanent exhibition featuring a replica Waka Tapu (ceremonial canoe) honouring traditional Māori navigation, craftsmanship and cultural resilience.
- Travel through Time (Permanent Exhibition) Permanent updated timeline exhibition commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Northern Irish Settlers arriving in Katikati and reflecting multicultural development.
- Guided Tours 30-45 minute professionally guided in-depth museum tours for groups (minimum 8 guests), booked via email at $5 per student/session pricing applied for education contexts.
- Taonga o te Taiao – Treasuring our Place (School Programme) Environmental education programme for primary schools delivering hands-on learning including weed identification, bioblitz, bird surveys, pest control and native planting, run for 7+ years with Katikati Primary School.
- School Programme Interactive out-of-classroom programmes for primary school students aligned with the New Zealand curriculum; 1.5 hour sessions priced at $5 per student.
- Memory Trunk Outreach Service Outbound community service delivering objects from the Handling Collection to retirement aged care homes from Te Puke to Waihi for memory retrieval and storytelling, sponsored by Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
- Outdoor Museum Beyond-the-walls exhibition space featuring Te Rongoa (Māori Medicinal Garden), traditional English herb garden, the Katikati jail from 1880, totem poles by local students and the Pā Harakeke flax plantation along Uretara Stream.
- Waitangi Day Commemorations (Event) Annual commemorative event celebrating New Zealand's founding document, featuring cultural performances, activities and community gathering at venues such as Haiku Park Katikati.
- Matariki Celebrations (Event) Annual celebration of the Māori New Year with star readings, dawn services and cultural activities.
- Friends of the Museum Talks (Programme) Monthly programme of ten talks per year on the second Thursday of each month at the Arts Junction theatre, covering historical and cultural topics; free for members, koha for non-members.
- Friends of the Museum Membership Annual membership programme with tiers Individual $30, Family $50, Life Individual $300, Life Family $500; benefits include quarterly newsletter, exhibition opening invitations, event invitations and free monthly talks.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 14,000 visitors annually from local, regional, national and international markets including 60+ countries
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Western Bay Museum
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Western Bay Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Western Bay Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Ngāi TamawhariuacoreOne of three local hapū providing cultural foundation and authority for the Museum's engagement in the Katikati/ Tauranga Moana region. Along with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua, they provide the cultural authority for exhibitions and museum operations.
- Ngāti Te WaicoreOne of three local hapū providing cultural foundation and authority. Collaborated on Pā Harakeke development behind the museum on the banks of Uretara Stream.
- Te Whānau ā TauwhaocoreOne of three local hapū providing cultural foundation and authority. Collaborated on Pā Harakeke development. Trustee Marino Magee is from Te Whānau ā Tauwhao Ki Otawhiwhi.
- Museums AotearoacoreLeading national museum organisation providing unwavering support. Essential partner in achieving the museum's kaupapa to preserve, conserve, store and display historic items to highest standards. Has helped museum develop into a unique sector-leading establishment.
- Te Papa National Services Te PaerangicoreNational services provider supporting museum's kaupapa. Provides expert knowledge exchange, additional training, guidance, and assistance. Essential in developing museum into sector-leading establishment. Supports Paula Gaelic's professional development.
- Katikati Primary SchoolcoreKey partner in Taonga o te Taiao environmental education programme. Museum has delivered programme for 7 years working with all Year 5 and 6 students. Partnership focuses on restoring Te Araawa native bush block on school grounds.
- Project ParorecoreEnvironmental partner in Taonga o te Taiao programme. Works to improve water quality and restore native fish habitats in Tauranga Moana. Featured in Ngā Toa Taiao Environmental Heroes exhibition.
- Rotary Club of KatikatimajorPartner in Taonga o te Taiao environmental education programme working with Katikati Primary School students.
- Te Papa (Museum of New Zealand)coreNational museum providing touring exhibitions including Colossal Squid Ngu Tipua. Helped bring Mawhiti Tino Rawe Clever Crustaceans exhibition to Western Bay of Plenty. Te Au o Maui Waka Tapu exhibition honours knowledge passed from Sir Hekenukumai Busby.
- NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)majorHelped bring Mawhiti Tino Rawe Clever Crustaceans exhibition to Western Bay of Plenty. Provided expertise for crustacean exhibition featuring hands-on interactives and real specimens.
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare ResearchmajorCollaborated with museum and mana whenua to develop first Pā Harakeke behind museum on banks of Uretara Stream in 2019. Supported subsequent Pā Harakeke development with three local hapū.
- Creative Bay of PlentymajorCo-hosted Friends of the Museum talks including Geoff Willacy's history of post office talk. Michelle Crook serves on Creative Bay of Plenty trust board.
- Katipo CreativeminorCo-hosted Friends of the Museum talk with Francis Young about historic photographs and preservation.
- Arts Junction TheatreminorVenue for ten monthly Friends of the Museum Talks held on second Thursday of each month.
- National Army Museum WaiourumajorService + Sacrifice exhibition about New Zealand women's contributions during conflict went on tour to National Army Museum. Exhibition featured ten focus boards on women from Te Puke, Katikati and throughout New Zealand.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Western Bay Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Puke Ariki: Combined regional museum, library and archive in New Plymouth delivering exhibitions, education and heritage programming funded by New Plymouth District Council. Comparable community-museum model with educational outreach and free general access.
- Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Rotorua: Regional museum in Rotorua with strong Māori cultural content, school programmes and council funding. Comparable in cultural-heritage positioning, hapū partnerships and exhibition/education revenue mix.
- Tauranga Art Gallery: Regional art gallery in Tauranga serving the wider Bay of Plenty. Closest comparable local peer: similar scale, similar school and community programming, and overlap in leadership pipeline (e.g. Collections Manager Donna Forde previously served as Registrar at Tauranga Art Gallery).
- Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato: Regional museum in Hamilton delivering exhibitions, education programmes and cultural heritage programming across the wider Bay of Plenty / upper North Island region. Directly comparable in mandate, school programmes, hapū engagement and council-funded operating model.
- Kīngitanga Museum (Te Ara Ki Te Tihi o Kīngitanga): Small Māori-heritage-focused museum in the Waikato delivering hapū-led exhibitions and cultural programming. Comparable in iwi/hapū co-governance, taonga-focused storytelling and regional-community operating model.
- National Army Museum Te Mata Toa: Specialist national museum in Waiouru that toured the museum's Service + Sacrifice exhibition. Comparable as a New Zealand regional museum with school programmes, travelling exhibitions and council/government funding mix.
Broad incumbents
- Auckland War Memorial Museum: Large regional museum with significant Māori and Pacific collections, school programmes, travelling exhibitions and corporate sponsorship model. Comparable in exhibition/education programming, though much larger scale and Auckland-based.
- Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa): National museum of New Zealand and a named strategic partner of Western Bay Museum (provides touring exhibitions including Colossal Squid and Clever Crustaceans, plus Te Paerangi national services). Relevant as the broader incumbent and content supplier for the regional museum's exhibition pipeline.
Direct peers
- Matakohe Kauri Museum: Small-to-mid regional museum in Northland delivering themed exhibitions, education programmes and community-led heritage storytelling funded by admissions, grants and sponsorships. Closest like-for-like on size, community-heritage focus and rural/regional museum operating model.
- Whakatāne Museum: Community museum in the Eastern Bay of Plenty delivering local history exhibitions, school programmes and hapū-engaged cultural programming. Direct regional peer with similar council funding dependency and small staff model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Western Bay Museum social profiles
Digital presenceWestern Bay Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Western Bay Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Western Bay Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Western Bay Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Western Bay Museum
What does Western Bay Museum do?
The Western Bay Museum is a heritage museum in Katikati, New Zealand, that preserves and displays taonga (treasures) through permanent and rotating exhibitions. It offers curriculum-aligned school education programmes, guided tours, an outdoor museum with Māori medicinal and heritage gardens, and outreach services such as the Memory Trunk programme for retirement villages. Operations are supported by donations, Friends membership fees, sponsorships and grants.
Is Western Bay Museum a public or private company?
Western Bay Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Western Bay Museum founded?
Western Bay Museum was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Western Bay Museum based?
Western Bay Museum is headquartered in Katikati, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Western Bay Museum make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Admissions and Donations are the primary driver. The others are friends of the Museum Membership, education Programmes, museum Experiences and Tours and sponsorships and Funding.
Who are Western Bay Museum's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Puke Ariki, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Rotorua, Tauranga Art Gallery, Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Kīngitanga Museum (Te Ara Ki Te Tihi o Kīngitanga) and National Army Museum Te Mata Toa. Broad incumbents are Auckland War Memorial Museum and Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa). Direct peers are Matakohe Kauri Museum and Whakatāne Museum.
Does Western Bay Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Western Bay Museum.
What industry is Western Bay Museum in?
Western Bay Museum's product category is Community Heritage Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAI, Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations), with a secondary code of THAJADAK, Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions. Its NAICS code is 712110.