Turnbull Endowment Trust: Transition into the next 100 years

3 June 2022

The Alexander Turnbull Library centenary activities were activated in 2018 by a donation of $100,000 by the Trust to seed fund two centenary exhibitions, celebrating the collections of the Library.

To leverage off the exhibitions, focussed effort and expertise was required and for that purpose the Trust appointed our Executive Director, Paula MacLachlan in 2019.

Projects to share the Library’s expertise and content were set as:

• A minidocumentary showing the undertakings at the library: A Century of Wonder
• Publication of Te Kupenga: 101 Stories of Aotearoa from the Turnbull
• Donation of a copy of Te Kupenga to every secondary school in New Zealand
• Delivering Pūkana: Moments in Māori Performance as a touring exhibition
• Creating Paintings in Perpetuity to support remedial treatment to works in the collection

With the close of the centenary celebrations, and with initiatives delivered or well established, the Trust announces with regret that Paula has chosen to move on from her work with the Trust with effect from 15 July 2022.

The Trustees wish to thank Paula for her dedication in securing external funding, creative delivery of projects from seed ideas, and engagement with the wider community to raise the profile of our Trust. Paula achieved outstanding results from a wish list developed to recognise and share the centenary of Alexander Turnbull’s bequest and the establishment of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

It has been a team effort, with Paula and the Trustees working collaboratively within the library ecosystem. And whilst Covid created inevitable delays, postponements and cancellations, the centenary celebrations were adapted, publications were released, and paintings were treated.

The Turnbull Endowment Trust has, for the past 88 years, supported the Alexander Turnbull Library.  We intend to continue to stand by, support and celebrate this heritage collection as we embark into its second century. We wish Paula every success in her next endeavours.

For further information about the Trust or to support our work, please go to www.turnbulltrust.org.nz or contact@turnbulltrust.org.nz

John Meads
Chair
Turnbull Endowment Trust
chair@turnbulltrust.org.nz