On my first day at Birdlings, I had seen the sign for the Museum so decided to visit it at the start of Day 2 of my visit. I had seen references to it online, where it was described as a private rock collection open to the viewing public. One community information site added: “The display is mostly Canterbury material gathered from the rivers and hills, agate, quartzite, jasper, petrified woods etc, of which after many years would have all ended up on the beach at Birdlings Flat.” Another site stated: “The Gemstone and Fossil Museum was opened in February 2003 by Vince and Colleen Burke and their children, who collected the many kinds of gemstones off Birdlings Flat Beach over 34 years. The collection has grown to include fossils collected since 2002, mostly from Amberley Beach to Kaikoura.” Vince is quoted in a 2012 North & South article on the Little River area as saying, “My wife wanted me to get everything out of the lounge” when they decided to live permanently at Birdlings Flat, sometime after his retirement as a builder in 2003.
The Museum is located at the end of Hillview Road at Birdlings Flat, a narrow road crowded on both sides by holiday homes and residences. Going in the gate, I found myself in a large courtyard to the left of which was the Museum building. A sign said to blow the horn on the wall, so I did, and Vince appeared and opened up. Inside is possibly the best laid-out and presented display of rocks and fossils that I have ever seen, a testament not only to the Burke family’s passion for stones and fossils but also to Vince’s intelligent ordering and labeling of the material being presented.
My favourite corner contained the petrified wood, agates and quartzites.
Petrified wood:
Agate stones:
Quartzite and rhodonite:
Perhaps more than half of the displays are of large colourful agates, most of them found by Vince himself in different parts of Canterbury:
One wall has a display of agates and rocks from different parts of New Zealand. Entry to the Museum is free, though donations are welcome, and you can purchase your own stones, rough or polished, to take away with you:
Vince graciously showed me around and shared some of the stories associated with various stones, especially the large colourful agates. He helped me to identify some of the stones I had been collecting recently. I bought some petrified wood and agate stones on the way out, and Vince then showed me around his workshop which contains his large homemade tumblers, vibratory vats, and cutting saws. All in all, an overwhelming and amazing experience.
Birdlings Flat Gemstone and Fossil Museum is open every day, 9.30 am to 5 pm, except when Vince is away rockhounding.
See also “Another Visit to Birdlings Flat, Late June 2016 – Part Two: Birdlings Flat Gemstone Museum Again”.
January 2024, Article in Otago Daily Times about Vince’s desire to sell the Museum “Rock collection faces uncertain fate”.
hi,this is tony,i am interesting in rock and agate…,so how can i visit the gemstone and fossil museum,how can i contact vince. tks
Hi Tony. There is an old email address for Vince that can be found on google but he doesn’t seem to check it any more. The best way to contact him is to visit Birdlings Flat – he puts a notice board out on the main street for the Museum, which is open most days (no regular hours as it depends on Vince being around, as he is most days). John
thanks a lot