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Layers of stories reveal hidden histories
Layers of stories reveal hidden histories By Andrea Milligan There’s a kind of alchemy when school groups come to our museum. They bring a variety of backgrounds, experiences and a sense of wonder, and we ignite their curiosity. That’s the beautiful, unpredictable magic of museum learning. Excited school groups are a familiar sight in [...]
Why We Collect Wellington
Why We Collect Wellington By Ian Wards Have you seen the images of two of our recent acquisitions on the shipping containers outside Wellington Museum? There’s a smashed hard drive donated by investigative journalist Nicky Hager and a detail from the artwork Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Xoë Hall. Wellington Museum is not just a museum of [...]
Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Xoë Hall
Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Xoë Hall By Ian Wards Wellington Museum asked Xoë Hall to create Te Whanganui-a-Tara artwork for our new ground-floor exhibition (of the same name) – Te Whanganui-a-Tara. This family-friendly exhibition explores the natural and cultural landscapes of Wellington. Xoë Hall (Kāi Tahu) is a painter based in the Wellington region, who specialises [...]
Space Place shines a light on Puanga and Matariki
Space Place shines a light on Puanga and Matariki By Colin Smillie, Experience Wellington’s Public Programmes Manager Science. At five o’clock on a cold and still morning last year, I joined 500 members of the public for a unique New Zealand experience as we gathered to share kai on Aotearoa’s first public holiday to celebrate [...]
Test Rezdy – The Navigators
Follow the star path to the land of the long white cloud Space Place presents Ngā Tohunga Whakatere - The Navigators, a planetarium film sharing the story of Māori, Pasifika and, later, European navigation towards Aotearoa through the eyes of a young girl, Moko. Moko dreams of becoming a master star navigator like her tūpuna and like her koro Jack. The […]
The inspiring life of Laura Miller
The inspiring life of Laura Miller By Ian Wards Laura Miller (1870-1953), was born in Port Cygnet, Tasmania on 7 April 1870. She was of Palawa (Aboriginal Tasmanian) and European descent; one of nine children born to Fanny and William Smith. Her mother Fanny was proud of being aboriginal and taught her children some of [...]
Lyall Bay Days
Lyall Bay Days By Tom Etuata Piha and Hawaii’s famous Pipeline surf beach it is not, but Wellington’s Lyall Bay has its own unique charm. On hot summer days, when there is a decent ocean swell, the bay becomes a magnet for beachgoers, surfers, and ocean-lovers - despite the water being freezing cold most days. [...]
The rebuilding of Tapu Te Ranga Marae, Paekawakawa (Island Bay)
The rebuilding of Tapu Te Ranga Marae, Paekawakawa (Island Bay) By Lawrence Wharerau The basis of it all, is you shift because the grass is greener and the grass was green in Wellington. Bruce Stewart, Tapu Te Ranga Marae, 1996 In the early to mid-1970s, with time on his hands to contemplate his next direction [...]
A taste of history – Dick Lee & Co. at Wellington Museum
A taste of history - Dick Lee & Co. at Wellington Museum By Ian Wards These celadon spoons were recently donated to Wellington Museum by Ken Chung. And they’ve got an intriguing story to tell, one that gives us a window into the food and community of early to mid-20th century Chinese Wellington. These spoons [...]
The Little Doctor Was Not (Initially) Impressed
When one of Wellington’s founding fathers, Dr. Issac Featherston, arrived in Wellington in May 1841 he was shocked to find, “… those mud hovels scattered along the beach, or those wooden huts which appeared every here and there…represent the City of Wellington?” The New Zealand Company had promised, “…fine fertile land which shall [...]
