Meet Jane

What attracted you to working at the Navy Museum?
I love museums and art galleries. I always make a beeline for them when I’m travelling, so the when the opportunity came up to apply for a role at the Navy Museum, I jumped at it.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

My role gives me lots of opportunities to interact with our community, which I thoroughly enjoy. It’s awesome to see the increasing interest we get for our workshops, in particular our Navigate with the Navy, which is a great collaboration with Navy. This is led by CDR David Hedgley (Rtd) and supported by our enthusiastic young officers from the RNZN Navigation School and has now been running twice a year, for four years! Our community responds very enthusiastically to workshops and seminars which give them a chance to connect with naval personnel and better understand the work they do and, in some cases, learn new skills from them.

What do you enjoy least?

The most frustrating thing about my role is navigating the IT system which presents all sorts of challenges some easy to solve, others not so much.

Name the most unexpected fact you have learnt since taking up your role at the Museum.

There are numerous facts and fascinating tidbits I’ve learned since working at the Museum I think one of the most interesting has been learning more about the former role of the museum buildings as a 19th century submarine mining station.

Name your favourite object in the Museum and explain why you chose it.

My favourite object is very small and easily missed, it’s a small white feather which has been hand painted with an image of HMS Dunedin. It sits in a frame in the ABC Room. The artist, Able Seaman Frank Turner joined the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy in 1921, and served in various ships including HMS Philomel, Chatham and Dunedin.

What’s the most memorable thing you have done since being at the Museum?

Working with my colleague Marica, Visitor Services Manager and a fabulous group of female veterans and serving women to design and create a quilt using old naval uniforms. This culminated in the exhibition, Threads Through Time – here’s a link to more information about the exhibition and a video we made as part of it.

Name the funniest moment since you joined the Museum?

There have been many, but one that sticks in my memory is when I brought my microwave into the office so the education team could make popcorn for the Basic Common Trainees documentary film night. Needless to say, it was quite a production line, and the office had a distinctly popcorn smell about it for several days!!

How do you enjoy spending your time outside work?

I love Pilates. I have a 1 on 1 session twice a week and try to combine that with regular long walks in the outdoors. I’m a maker, I love making things, I’m one of those people that has a cupboard full of unfinished projects that I keep meaning to complete. The fun bit is choosing your next project and then starting, the finishing off whether it’s sewing up a knitting project or framing a piece of stitching is never as exciting. Having recently downsized I have also discovered a new interest in courtyard gardening, with mixed success.