Southland's new $87 million museum - Te Unua Museum of Southland - moved to the next stage with a special sod-turning ceremony held onsite on Wednesday (6 Oct).

Present were city councillors, key stakeholders including funding partners and contractor Naylor Love, mana whenua, various community organisations from throughout Southland, and those within the region’s culture and heritage sector.

Invercargill City Council’s Lead Councillor for the museum redevelopment, Grant Dermody, said the event signalled a shift into an exciting new phase of the project with early foundational works getting under way in the coming weeks.

“We have been on a long road, but now we are getting into the physical – the project’s getting off the ground and the pieces of the puzzle are all coming together,” he said.

“Being able to bring such a significant community asset to life is not an everyday occurrence, and we know how much the people of Southland are looking forward to being able to see the taoka and stories of their region once more."

"It was a great opportunity to celebrate the progress of Te Unua Museum of Southland, with so many of those whose support has been vital in getting to the point we are at today.”

Te Unua Museum of Southland Director Eloise Wallace said the sod-turning was an opportunity for stakeholders to come together and celebrate an important milestone in the project.

“Our region is home to such a wealth of fascinating history, fascinating stories, and Te Unua Museum of Southland is going to serve as the anchor for these."

"Being able to celebrate the sod-turning at the site of Murihiku’s new museum with our funding partners, our contractor, mana whenua, and others within the sector was a great insight into what this project means to the wider community and its people,” she said.

“Breathing life into Te Unua Museum of Southland is one step closer, and that is hugely exciting.”

Te Unua Museum of Southland is scheduled to be opened to the public in late 2026.