Phar Lap able to be lent

Te Papa confirmed today that the skeleton of New Zealand’s most famous racehorse is able to be lent to Melbourne Museum for display during the 150th anniversary of the first Melbourne Cup race later this year.

The loan request was instigated by the Victorian Minister of Racing at Easter, and an assessment of the state of the skeleton was undertaken by Te Papa conservators. The assessment showed that, with some minor stabilisation and repair work, the skeleton with its steel framework is in a state to be loaned without risking its integrity.

‘Our conservation and articulation expertise has greatly advanced as a result of the Museum’s experience in developing the Whales | Tohorā exhibition,’ said Te Papa’s Communications Manager, Jane Keig.

‘The assessment did show that the framework supporting Phar Lap’s head and neck had gradually slumped since he was first articulated, and our object support team will be making a modification to this to ensure he is looking ‘proud’ again.’

Remedial work to Phar Lap will take place publicly in his display case from Tuesday 22 June until Friday 25 June The work involves removing the head and neck from the skeleton, reinforcing the framework and reattaching it, as well as cleaning the bones.

BACKGROUND


Phar Lap, bred in Timaru, died on 5 April 1933 in California. The owners, Mr DJ Davis and Mr HR Telford, presented Phar Lap’s hide and heart to Australia and the skeleton to New Zealand. The skeleton arrived in New Zealand later that year but a lack of available funding prevented his immediate articulation and display. It was thanks to the New Zealand public’s generosity that nearly 100 pounds sterling was raised, enabling the Dominion Museum to pay osteologist Mr EH Gibson of Otago Medical School to assist the Museum’s taxidermist, Mr C Lindsay, articulate the specimen. The articulation took the men two weeks and was completed in November 1938.