Heritage Rescue - 3, Series Three

Episode One - Smash Palace, Horopito
Brigid Gallagher and her team take on the mission of building a new museum entirely from scratch at the Horopito Motors wrecking yard, location for iconic kiwi films Smash Palace and Goodbye Pork Pie. 

Episode Two - NZ Warbirds at Ardmore 
Brigid and the team re-work the NZ Warbirds aviation museum at South Auckland's Ardmore Aerodrome, transforming the giant hangar into an exhibit to appeal to aviation enthusiasts and amateurs alike.

Episode Three - Napier Prison
The old prison on Bluff Hill in Napier is this week's historic location in need of a spruce up and a rethink. Brigid Gallagher and her team strip back unnecessary and ghoulish exhibits to focus visitor attention on the fascinating tales of former inmates and their tragic stories. The museum closed in 2024.

Episode Four - Firth Tower Estate
Brigid Gallagher's team try and unravel the legacy of Yorkshire-born entrepreneur Josiah Firth and his famous tower, an architectural folly built on his estate near Matamata in the Waikato. As the estate buildings and the tower are decluttered and the museum opened, Firth's relationship with Ngāti Hauā rangatira Wiremu Tāmihana is examined.

Episode Five - Okains Bay Museum
Brigid Gallagher and the Heritage Rescue team head to Port Chalmers, where the Okains Bay Museum looks more like a pub than a museum. A large and ambitious mural reflecting the Māori history of the area is part of the extensive refurbishment.

Episode Six - Port Chalmers, Part One
In the biggest undertaking of the season, the Heritage Rescue team travel to Dunedin to help the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum attract more visitors. With it's proximity to cruise lines, the museum has great capacity to attract international tourists, but the museum's volunteers will need some convincing on the proposed changes. 

Episode Seven - Port Chalmers, Part Two
In this second part visiting Port Chalmers, presenter Brigid Gallagher learns more about Dunedin's dark history with slave ships, hears the fascinating personal story behind the Salvus life jackets, goes sledding with husky dogs and chats to children inspired by artist Ralph Hotere (plus their teacher, Bats vocalist Robert Scott). Plus it's time to complete the museum revamp!  

Episode Eight - Ihumātao
Only months before the Ihumātao occupation, the team makes a visit to meet the group fighting to save the area from building development. With the help of expert archeologists and researchers they map out ancient burial caves and settlements to create an outdoor exhibit on the area's history.