Current and future generations would never be able to appreciate how our region’s transport started and evolved if it wasn’t for Wakefield’s Higgins Heritage Park.
Higgins Heritage Park is a family of volunteer-run working museums that aim to preserve and showcase the history of local transport, forestry, rural life, and farming of our forefathers.
“If we don’t do what we are doing here then our future generations are going to be completely ignorant of how transport and other things started,” Historic Transport Museum chair Rae Warne explains.
“We are one of the largest groups preserving historical transport for Nelson, Tasman, Golden Bay, West Coast and Marlborough.”
The land was donated by Ross Higgins, a local farmer, who had a concept of a steam museum.
The park is organised into different sections including steam engines and machinery, transport, vintage farming machinery and equipment, rural life and heritage collection, trucks, cars and bikes, vintage chainsaws, and forestry exhibits including an operational sawmill.
“The stuff that is here is important to the immediate and wider district. If we don’t preserve it then it’s lost forever,” Rae says.
Standing next to a huge steam engine named Betsy, discovered in 1977 and weighing 10 tons just to produce 28 horsepower, it’s easy to see Rae’s point.
Many of the volunteers in the transport group have been involved in transport or machinery in some way throughout their working lives.
“We have ex-drivers, mechanics, engineers, carpenters, and people from all walks of life who volunteer here. At present, we have an archivist in our group who is creating a digital record of all our museum information,” Rae explains.
“We’d love to see more volunteers come and join our team, no experience or qualifications needed. Visitors are most welcome to visit the Transport Museum while we are working during the day every Monday and Wednesday.
“We have some great supporters like Solly’s Freight, Move, and many more that, without their ongoing support, the Transport Museum wouldn’t be possible.”
Higgins Heritage Park offers a range of ways to connect and understand the importance of preserving history, such as hosting special events, getting involved with the volunteer team, and throwing open their park gates to the public on the first Sunday of each month.
“Bring the family, a picnic and enjoy exploring what we have here,” Rae says.
