Puke Ariki

Puke Ariki is a combined museum, library, research centre and i-SITE visitor information centre on the New Plymouth foreshore at 1 Ariki Street. It is a New Plymouth District Council facility and opened on 15 June 2003, described by the organisation as the world's first integrated museum, library and tourist information centre.

Background

The project began in 1993, when New Plymouth District Council set up a working party to address the lack of space in the War Memorial Building that then housed the town's museum and library. In 1995 the site chosen was the old Puke Ariki pā near the mouth of the Huatoki Stream. The earliest known history of that location dates from about 1700, when the large pā was home to the rangatira Te Rangi apiti-rua; the site was later taken up by the Plymouth Company for settlement in 1841 and renamed Mount Eliot, with the hill eventually removed as the town grew. Komiti Māori was formed in 1996/97 to represent Taranaki iwi in the project. The council confirmed a $12.3 million budget in 1999, with a further $3 million for fit-out to be raised from the community and non-council grants; Puke Ariki went on to raise around $11 million more toward the project. The complex takes in the museum building on the foreshore and the library in the earlier building, joined by a bridge over Ariki Street.

Spaces available

• Museum Foyer — the principal function space, used for conference dinners, cocktail evenings and presentations. Capacity is 230 standing or 100 seated. It is available Monday to Friday from 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 5pm, with the premises to be vacated by midnight unless otherwise arranged with management. The published hire fee (listed at $1,902 at the time of writing) covers staffing during the event, pack-in and pack-out, and cleaning. A virtual tour of the foyer is published on the Puke Ariki website.
• Noel and Melva Yarrow Education Room — on level one of the museum, described as suited to workshops, presentations or lectures. Available Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm, and at other times when not required for education programmes. Published rates are $500 full day and $250 half day.
• Community Lounge — on level one of Puke Ariki Library, capacity 15. It is a public space that cannot be partitioned off and there may be noise from other library users, so it suits informal meetings rather than confidential or presentation-heavy sessions. Hireage is free of charge.
• Community library meeting rooms — rooms are also available at Inglewood Library (40 standing or 20 seated) and Waitara Library (50 standing or 30 seated) during library opening hours, with kitchen facilities available as an option.

Published hire rates change; confirm current pricing and availability with the venue.

Catering

Catering for the Museum Foyer is provided by Arborio Restaurant, which is located within the foyer itself and is arranged directly with the restaurant.

Suitability for meetings and events

Puke Ariki is better understood as a function and hosting venue than as a full conference centre. The Museum Foyer gives organisers a distinctive central-city setting for conference dinners, welcome functions, cocktail receptions and award evenings, within walking distance of the New Plymouth waterfront and CBD accommodation, while the Yarrow Education Room handles workshops, training sessions and breakouts of moderate size. Because the foyer is only available outside museum opening hours, it works best as the evening component of a wider programme built around other Taranaki venues. Note that roof replacement and library equipment upgrades were under way at the time of writing, so availability should be confirmed directly.