Help raise funds for Tūhura Otago Museum’s Fire Sprinklers

Professor David Hutchinson, physicist at the University of Otago and Board Chair of Tūhura Otago Museum, set out to take on one of the world’s toughest open-water swims, the Cook Strait, to raise funds for urgently needed fire sprinklers at the Museum.

Tūhura Otago Museum is home to around two million nationally and internationally significant objects, caring for taonga that tell the stories of Aotearoa’s people, science, and natural world. While the Museum safeguards these collections every day, critical protections, including a full fire sprinkler system, remain unfunded.

David’s Cook Strait swim was about changing that.

After an incredible eight hours in the water, David’s attempt was abandoned due to increasingly difficult tide and wind conditions that made it unsafe to continue. While the swim itself could not go ahead, the mission absolutely has.

David remains deeply committed to raising awareness and funds to help protect Tūhura Otago Museum’s irreplaceable collections for future generations and has already made a significant personal contribution.

Every donation, no matter the size, goes directly towards installing fire sprinklers at Tūhura Otago Museum and plays a vital role in safeguarding one of New Zealand’s most significant cultural and scientific collections.

This is about community, care, and protecting what cannot be replaced.

Please get behind this important cause.