Is Authenticity Necessary for Heritage? Official and Non-Official Views Through the Lens of the Open-Air Museum Howick Historical Village

Abstract

International heritage authorities have existed since only relatively recently, as has their policy that heritage needs to be authentic to be officially recognised. Critics argue the established way they define authenticity is inflexible and does not allow for culturally diverse understandings of the concept however. In contrast, open-air museums often use practices that depart from international heritage authorities’ criteria for authenticity, but they are places many people consider authentic and believe are heritage. This thesis explores official and non-official understandings of authenticity and heritage using the open-air museum of Howick Historical Village in Auckland, New Zealand, as a case study. Like many open-air museums, it contains buildings that were relocated there and restored to the period when they were first built, as well as replicas. This study investigates whether heritage officials have the same opinion of whether the open-air museum is authentic and heritage as heritage non-officials. In doing so, it researches the view points of heritage officials from Auckland Council and Heritage New Zealand, and heritage non-officials who are visitors and volunteers to Howick Historical Village, and Board Members of the Howick and Districts Historical Society. This thesis also investigates how the views of these groups compare to positions on authenticity and heritage in literature, both non-official discourse on open-air museums and official heritage texts. Does something need to be authentic to be heritage? Is Howick Historical Village authentic? Does the presence of relocated, restored and replica buildings affect its authenticity? Is the open-air museum heritage, and what does heritage mean? What are the viewpoints of heritage officials and heritage non-officials, and how do they compare? This thesis studies these questions and others by using interviews and questionnaires. This study shows that while the heritage officials think Howick Historical Village has limited authenticity and status as heritage, almost all of the heritage non-officials think it is authentic, and that it is heritage. Significantly, some of the heritage non-officials’ reasons for this, like the open-air museum giving the impression of a real place, contradict principles held by the heritage officials. Both the heritage officials’ and the heritage non-officials’ views have precedent in the literature, but there is a lack of official heritage guidance specific to open-air museums. These factors suggest the heritage officials’ opinions should not be assumed to prevail over the opinions of the heritage non-officials with regard to Howick Historical Village, authenticity and heritage.