The Prime Minister, Helen Clark, on Saturday opened New Plymouth's new fully integrated library, museum and visitor information centre, Puke Ariki.
About 400 invited guests – including ambassadors to New Zealand, iwi and regional dignitaries – gathered to take part in the official opening and to see for themselves the facility that has set a new standard for heritage and information delivery on the international stage.
"Puke Ariki is innovative in two key respects," said the Prime Minister.
"Firstly, it breaks down the traditional boundaries between library and museum – that is farsighted and I think we'll see more of it in other regions.
"Secondly, technology plays a big part in the treasures and in the stories of this place. Through Puke Ariki's website we can open Puke Ariki up to people outside Taranaki, the site can be read in Maori, and it invites people to add their stories.
"This facility is setting a new and very high benchmark for museums in regional centres through New Zealand."
The Prime Minister was struck by the passion and energy that the entire region had for the project. "I believe Puke Ariki can be a bridge between people as it tells the stories that must be told about our past.
"Through this magnificent new place, we can see the mana of this site fully recognised – and that is vitally important," she said.
The site of Puke Ariki – between New Plymouth's foreshore and the CBD – is important to both Maori and Pakeha, as it used to be a pa and papakainga called Puke Ariki (the Hill of the Chiefs) and later became the administrative heart of the newly-established New Plymouth town, and was an important landfall for Maori and Pakeha.
Puke Ariki is the world's first purpose-built, fully integrated museum, library and information centre. It combines the historical with the high-tech, the entertaining with the educational, and intentionally challenges, informs and entertains.
New Plymouth District Mayor Peter Tennent thanked the Prime Minister for her support of Puke Ariki, which he said was instrumental in making the innovative new facility a reality.
"Puke Ariki is an international facility," he said.
"Visitors to New Zealand continue to go up and international visitors to Taranaki continue to skyrocket. Puke Ariki will be a draw card for tourists, but more particularly through the Internet Puke Ariki will be accessible worldwide.
"From today we have another icon in Taranaki, an icon of which we can all be proud: Puke Ariki."
On Sunday June 15, Puke Ariki opened its doors to the public and about 8000 people took the chance to see for themselves the exhibitions within this innovative new facility.