The significance of its World War One commemorative exhibition will see Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi – the Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre change its normal opening hours later this month.

On Saturday, 28 March, Te Kōputu, which usually opens at 10 am on weekends, will remain closed to the public until the conclusion of a pōhiri marking the Whakatāne Museum’s exhibition ‘For King and Country’.

The pōhiri will be held outside Te Kōputu at 10 am, and at the conclusion of the formalities, the Horizon Energy Library and the rest of the complex will open for business through until the usual weekend closing time of 2 pm.

Team Leader Library Services Tangimeriana Rua says it’s anticipated that the library will be open by 11 am. 

“Everyone is welcome to attend the pōhiri. We recognise that there is potentially a degree of inconvenience to regular library users, but we hope that people understand that we want to support our Museum colleagues in the appropriate ceremony to open an exhibition which has such significance for so many families in our community.”

Team Leader Museum and Arts Hamish Pettengell says ‘For King and Country’ will weave stories of local soldiers’ service and their experiences against a backdrop of key events throughout World War One.

Material in the exhibition will be drawn from the Whakatāne Museum and Research Centre collection, together with community World War One archives, digitised in 2014 with the assistance of the Lottery Grants Board WW100 project funding.

For King and Country will continue in the Opus Gallery at Te Kōputu until 21 June 2015.