Huanaki Cultural Centre & Museum

Huanaki Cultural Centre & Museum was a national museum and cultural centre in Alofi in Niue, which was destroyed in 2004 by Cyclone Heta.

Huanaki Cultural Centre & Museum

Formation	1987
Dissolved	2004
Purpose	Culture and heritage preservation
Headquarters	Alofi, Niue

Background

In 1983 the government of Niue established the Niue Arts & History Project, which aimed to revive and foster pride in traditional customs and craft.^[1] The project hoped to enable the establishment of a cultural centre and museum and in 1985 the National Cultural Centre Project was set up.^[1]

The museum opened, as the first national museum for Niue, in 1987.^[2] It was opened by Sir Paul Reeves, who was the New Zealand Governor-General.^[2] It was part of the Department of Community Affairs & Culture.^[3] Its official opening was held on 19 October 1989.^[1] The centre included a museum, library and reading room, as well as an outdoor amphitheatre for performances, workshops for craftspeople, shops leased to private enterprises and a botanic garden.^[1] The museum was administered by the Cultural Affairs Officer, who was supported by a gardener, cleaner and two workers with expertise in Niuean culture.^[1] The programme ran a changing display programme, as well as cultural craft workshops for young people.^[1]

In the mid-1990s, the centre and museum were partners in the Niue Archaeological Project, led by Richard Walter from the University of Otago, and Atholl Anderson from the Australian National University.^[4] In 2003 the organisation received a grant of $20,000 from the World Heritage Fund in order to create a tentative World Heritage list for the country.^[5]

Cyclone Heta

The museum building was destroyed in 2004 by Cyclone Heta.^[6] Between 90 and 95% of the museum's collection was also destroyed.^[7][6][8][9] The area surrounding the museum was still ruined in 2018.^[10] Other damage by the cyclone included deforestation, in particular of Dysoxylum forsteri, a tree used in the building of Niuean outrigger canoes.^[7]

In 2018, its replacement Tāoga Niue Museum opened, and its director is Moira Enetama.^[11]