In 1978 a new director, Seddon Bennington, embarked on a programme of renewal. A later Director, Elizabeth Hinds, continued the museum's resurgence. The Dunedin City Council provided grants increasingly covering costs and in 1991 took over the museum's ownership and operation.
In 1978, Seddon Bennington became the new director, starting a program to revitalize the museum. Later, Elizabeth Hinds continued this progress. The Dunedin City Council began providing more grants to cover costs in the 1990s and eventually took over ownership and management of the museum in 1991.