Welcome to the Awarua Communications Museum
What we provide
The Museum provides an opportunity for exploring both the technology and history of New Zealand's communications from early telegraph and radio days through to the modern era.
A purpose-built 'picture palace' and its wide collection of heritage film provides both entertaining and educational material.
The museum's technology collection displays the evolution of the fascinating world of wired, radio and digital communications.
Our opening hours
The Museum is open for public visits on Sunday afternoons
Open hours are between 1PM - 4 PM.
We look forward to greeting you and sharing our passion for communications heritage.
The theater and museum are available for pre-arranged group visits - plan these visits with the Group Visit Coordinator.
We will also open to support special events in the region. Check our Facebook site and the News section for updates on special-event intentions and opening hours.
Our contact details
Facebook: View and discuss our regular activities on our Facebook site
For group visits: Group Visit Coordinator: Brendon Sparks 027 3131 209.
(Please do not use email for group visit requests)
For general contact and historical items: email:
For postal items: Awarua Communications Museum, 21 Hyde Street, Clifton, Invercargill 9812
Our physical address: 1276 Bluff Highway, Invercargill
Our Rates
Museum Display Visits
Adults $6, School-aged children $3
Group Visits (Picture Palace and Museum Display)
Single group payment based on $12 per adult and $8 per school-aged child
Payment
Please bring cash as we do not have an EFTPOS facility.
Where we are
The Museum is located on the historic site of Awarua Radio Station at 1276 Bluff Highway, just over 11km from the corner of Dee and Tay streets (Troopers Memorial round-about) in Invercargill.
When the museum is open for visitors, there are signs positioned 200m either side of our entrance. You can also look for the 'Open' flag at the main road gate and for the museum signs on the roadside bus shelter, inside the main road gate and on our building which is about 1km along the driveway.
The Museum is on the right hand side adjacent to a cattle-stop. Please don't go beyond the cattle-stop, as that land is private property and is not a part of the Museum.
Your museum visit
The Awarua Communications Museum is one tenant of what is now Invercargill City Council property. All other buildings on the site are private residences and no longer have any Awarua Radio Station functions so please respect the privacy of the tenants. However, they are nice people and our friendly neighbors so please give them a wave as you start your exploration of communications heritage in Southland.