Work starts on museum’s new building

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday 15th Febuary 2012

By SHIRLYN BELDEN
THE National Museum and Arts Gallery held a ground-breaking ceremony at the Waigani museum on Monday for the construction of a new exhibition building.
Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture and Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip officiated at the ceremony witnessed
by Alotau MP Charles Abel, diplomats, museum staff and partners.
The new building will cost K1.5 million and is funded by Aero Archaeology, an American organisation engaged to manage the restoration of the famous American B-17 bomber, Swamp Ghost.
Funding is under an agreement between the Agaimbo landowners swamp in Tufi, Northern, where the Swamp
Ghost crashed during World War II.
After it was found in June 2008, it was transferred to Aero Archaeology in the US.
The new building will measure 40m in length and 21m across and will house an office space, with the rest used for displaying artifacts.
The new building will have space for World War II relics such as the Swamp Ghost, a replica of which will be built in Australia and transferred to the museum.
The new building will see the mini-museum in Gordon being relocated to Waigani with its relics.
The project is expected to start in a few months.
Philip said the ceremony highlighted the first step in a modern and structured approach to preserve national and historical memories.
Museum director Dr Andrew Moutu outlined initiatives his board was taking including the construction of a replica of the original House of Assembly to be given to the national museum.
The museum will also  house an international standard convention centre, for which the government has given K37 million.