Steampunk in South Canterbury
Words: Pattie Pegler | Images: Supplied by Steampunk HQ
An old-fashioned dentist’s chair, some rusty old vehicles, a bull’s head atop a human body, strange gadgets that whirr and hiss… Steampunk HQ is an art collaboration and gallery in the historic Victorian precinct of Ōamaru that lets you experience life in a dystopian future.
My husband considers the metagalactic pipe organ, made from recycled scrap metal, in the previous room. My son stares at a sculpture of an oversized metal crab. It’s all interesting but it’s also slightly mystifying and a little bit creepy. We’re in Ōamaru’s Steampunk HQ and I’m not sure I really ‘get’ it.
What exactly is steampunk? It’s a kind of vision of the future seen from the past. There’s a lot of steam-powered technology and unusual devices – think of the kind of machines you would find in the writings of Jules Verne or H G Wells, and in old TV shows like Doctor Who.
Ōamaru is the steampunk capital of New Zealand – a self-declared title, perhaps? But Steampunk HQ started life in 2011 with a small group of creative minds who came up with the concept. When the space opened, it was Jan Kennedy who came on board as Steampunk HQ Manager. “Think of it as how the Victorians would have imagined their future,” Jan says with a laugh. “A Victorian future without electricity. It’s a very sort of post-apocalyptic feeling. A dystopian future.”
The steampunk scene has taken off in Ōamaru in large part due to the wonderful old Victorian buildings preserved there. They offer an utterly unique and appropriate background. Initially, things started with some local artists coming up with fun ‘steampunk-coded’ ideas. “It was all very accidental,” says Jan. “Nobody knew it would be as successful as it has been.”
Now, Ōamaru hosts the annual Steampunk NZ Festival, where steampunk aficionados come together to get involved. People dress up in costume, bring unusual gadgets and accessories, and engage in creative challenges. There’s a real emphasis on recycling and reusing – it gets those creative minds working. This year, the festival falls from Thursday, 28 May to Monday, 1 June.
Steampunk HQ itself is less daunting for steampunk newbies, or the simply curious. The gallery is open 364 days a year and sees visitors from both New Zealand and overseas – Germany, China, Australia, Japan and beyond.
“Many German visitors really love it. They have a real interest in industrial art. Japanese visitors often like the costumes. Some older farmers from the area just love the use of old machinery,” explains Jan. “Different cultures like it for different reasons.”
Many of the exhibits are relics from Ōamaru’s industrial past. The old blue canister in the yard probably came from the old freezing works, she says.
The day we visit, Steampunk HQ is buzzing. It’s the school holidays, the middle of summer and one of the busiest times of year according to Jan. The Portal room is one of the most popular, (it has a time and people limit), a space where light and mirrors combine to make you feel suspended in space. It’s wonderful.
There are no fussy signs here, you can touch things, and sometimes try them out, pushing buttons or turning wheels. Outside you can even clamber up to the top of a motorbike sculpture or explore the inside of an old train carriage. Halfway up the building a group of enormous metal flies are suspended.
The whole space is filled with the interesting and unusual – it’s creativity gone wild and the more you look, the less it matters how you understand it. Fun, different, and a really good reason to plan a trip that coincides with the festival, or simply stop by.
STEAMPUNK FESTIVAL 2026: 28 MAY – 1 JUNE
