28 October 2009
An audit of war medals undertaken at Te Awamutu Museum has recently been completed and revealed that 33 medals were unaccounted for.
A formal complaint was lodged with the Te Awamutu Police by the Museum Trust Board, and an investigation is now underway.
Museum and Heritage Manager Jan White says specific details of the medals cannot be disclosed at this time, as not all families have been informed, and making the information public may hinder the investigation.
“While the financial value of the medals is not significant, the sentimental and historical value of them is huge. We are endeavoring to recover the medals, and want to reassure patrons and contributors that the security systems in place now are significantly more robust than those in place prior to Council’s involvement – which commenced in 2005.”
A full audit of the medal collection has been underway for the last six months, since the sale and repurchase of the Osborne war medal brought the issue to light. However a full audit of the museum’s objects and archived material is expected to take a further three years as there are over 10,000 individual pieces which must be checked against historical documents, records and registers.
Te Awamutu Museum staff are working with police and other agencies to support the ongoing investigation.
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