Have you ever thought of how the Western Bay of Plenty was first built into what it is today? If so, you need to take a peek at Western Bay Museum's new exhibition.

Building Our Nation is all about shaping the nation – and WBOP's – historic stories of transport – from river, road and rail to carpenters' tools and brickworks.

Western Bay Museum chairperson Carole Parker says it is a brand new exhibition for the museum – and will showcase new and unseen items to the public.

'The exhibition is about building our nation and the things that were used to build it and how people in our district lived at those times,” says Carole. 'The roads, railways, bridges and such like.”

One particular item on display is William Gray's 1912 mortising machine, which revolutionised the joinery industry. Plus there are carpenters' tools mostly made by hand from the late-1800s including clamps, planes, sash fillisters and much more.

The brickworks along the Uretara River and the Aongatete will surprise you, says Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic.

'We will showcase our first industries of Aotearoa and our region, with particular focus on the kauri timber, gum industry and the Harakeke – flax – industry.

'The kauri mill up Wharawhara Road was the most southern kauri mill in the country.”

Each time the museum changes exhibition it has a cultural encounter – this time it is Maori and harakeke industry.

'The Harakeke industry was well underway within Maori in Aotearoa prior to the colonists. 'The French and American sealers started purchasing or trading with Maori for rope and cord as early as 1790.”

Carole says an interesting part of Katikati's history is how the town was built.

'Some people wouldn't know that Katikati did have a railway, although now it doesn't, so it's about how our infrastructure used to be.” As result, a Katikati rail station sign, Vanguards potbelly and signalling lantern, railway spikes and nail dates will be on show.

And with Katikati being the only planned Northern Irish settlement in the world, the Orange Lodge will be a highlight of the exhibition with sashes and badges on display.

'An interesting fact is NZ was the first country in the world to allow female members or sisters, as they were known,” says Paula.

Plus a First World War display will be in place in respect of Anzac Day. And the exhibition will feature the end of ‘six o'clock closing' – or swill – which was in place in NZ for 50 years.

Carole says the exhibition opening brought back some fond memories for those who attended.

'One lady said: ‘Oh dad had some of those and he used to use them for this…' so there's items in the exhibition that will evoke thoughts about how people's parents, grandparents and older generations used to live and what they used in their daily lives.”

'This exhibition has a real variety for people to see.”

The museum on Main Road, Katikati, is open 10am-4pm every day, with Building Our Nation closing in July.

Museum entry is adults $5, and children under 15 cost $2.