Auckland War Memorial Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Auckland War Memorial Museum

Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Former name	Auckland Institute and Museum (1886–1996) Te Papa Whakahiku (1992–2003)
Established	25 October 1852; 172 years ago (1852-10-25)
Type	Encyclopedic / Universal
Key holdings	Hotunui (whare rūnanga) Te Toki a Tāpiri (waka taua) The Sir Edmund Hillary Archive Tairua trolling lure
Collection size	4.5 million objects
Visitors	859,779 (FY 2016–17)
Public transit access	Parnell railway station, Grafton railway station
Nearest parking	Museum Carpark and Auckland Domain
Heritage New Zealand – Category I
Designated:	6-June-1985
Reference #:	94

The Auckland War Memorial Museum, also known as Tāmaki Paenga Hira or Auckland Museum, is one of New Zealand's most important museums. It also serves as a war memorial. The museum's building was built in the 1920s and 1950s. It stands on Observatory Hill, which is actually an old volcano, in the Auckland Domain. This location is close to Auckland CBD, the city centre.

The museum's collections focus on New Zealand history, especially the Auckland Region's past. They also cover natural history and military history. The museum first started collecting items and putting on exhibits in 1852. In 1867, a group of people in Auckland formed a society called the Auckland Philosophical Society. This group soon took over the museum. The museum was then known as the Auckland Institute and Museum until 1996. The current building, which opened in 1929, was named the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Since 1996, this name has been used for the whole institution.

Early Days of the Museum

The Auckland Museum first opened its doors in 1852. It was originally in a small house on Grafton Road. This area is now part of the University of Auckland. The public could visit the museum on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

The museum aimed to collect items that showed the natural history of New Zealand. This included its rocks, minerals, insects, and birds. They also wanted to gather weapons, clothing, and tools from New Zealand and other Pacific Islands. Anything related to Captain Cook's voyages was also welcome. The museum also had an "Industrial Museum" section. This part showed off things like building stones, timber, clays, and dyes.

In its first year, 708 people visited the museum. Over the next ten years, interest in the museum went down. However, its collection continued to grow. In 1869, the museum was given to the Auckland Institute. A new building was then built for the museum in Princes Street. It opened in 1876. This new building had a large gallery with a skylight. This room was hard to keep warm in winter and too hot in summer.

The War Memorial Building

Part of the museum's front, showing war scenes carved into the stone.

In the early 1900s, the museum grew a lot under a great curator named Thomas Cheeseman. He helped organise the collections better. The museum needed more space and better ways to show its items. So, the idea of a new museum building was combined with creating a memorial. This memorial would honour the soldiers who died in the First World War.

After much discussion, a hill in the Government Domain was chosen. It had an amazing view of the Waitematā Harbour. The Auckland City Council approved the plan in 1918. They also agreed to help pay for the museum's upkeep each year.

A worldwide competition was held to find the best design for the new museum. More than 70 designs were sent in. The Auckland company Grierson, Aimer and Draffin won. Their design was in a neo-classical style, like old Greek and Roman temples. Building started in August 1925, after successful fundraising. The new building was finished in 1929. The Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, officially opened it.

The museum's architects asked Kohn's Jewellers to make a detailed silver model of the museum. This model was given to Sir James Gunson, the Mayor, for his hard work on the project. Today, this model is on display at the museum.

A silver model of the museum, given to Sir James Gunson.

The museum building is seen as one of the best Greco-Roman buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. It has a special "A" rating from Heritage New Zealand. This means it is very important to protect. Inside, the plasterwork mixes Māori designs with Neo-Greek and art-deco styles. The carvings outside show soldiers from the 20th century.

Restored copies of three famous Greek statues are also in the museum. These statues are The Dying Gaul, "Laocoön and His Sons", and "Discobolus". They show how important ancient Greek art and learning were to New Zealand's European culture. These statues were given to the museum in 1878.

The building is mostly made of English Portland stone. Details are made from New Zealand granite from the Coromandel. Over the front porch, there is a famous quote from the Greek leader Pericles. It says:

This quote fits with the museum's role as a war memorial.

Building Changes Over Time

The 1929 building was designed to be expanded later. Two additions were made. The first was in the late 1950s to remember the Second World War. An office area with a large curved courtyard was added to the back. This part was made of concrete blocks.

In 2006, the inner courtyard was covered by a "Grand Atrium" at the southern entrance.

Modern Updates and Renovation

The museum seen from Maungawhau / Mount Eden, showing the wavy shape of the copper dome.

In the last 20 years, the museum has been updated and made bigger in two steps. The first step in the 1990s involved fixing up the old building. Some exhibits were also changed. This cost about NZ$43 million. The second step finished in 2007. A large dome and a big open space (atrium) were built inside the central courtyard. This added 60 per cent more floor space to the building. It cost NZ$64.5 million.

The copper and glass dome has a wavy shape. It is said to look like the volcanic hills around Auckland. The space under the dome is used for events. It has been praised for its design. In 2007, the Grand Atrium project won a top award in New Zealand.

Model of the museum with the new copper dome at the rear.

The new parts under the dome include 900 square metres of extra exhibition space. There is also an event centre and new areas for school groups. An auditorium with 200 seats is inside a large, round, wooden structure. This structure weighs 700 tonnes and hangs from the ceiling. A new underground car park was also built.

In 2020, the museum opened new exhibitions called Tāmaki Herenga Waka: Stories of Auckland. These sections explore the city's land, water, and urban life. They also include areas about activism and data. The "Living City: Rarau mai" section uses large screens to show information about Auckland's diverse population.

Also in 2020, the redesigned South Atrium entrance, Te Ao Mārama, was opened. This new entrance was designed with help from Māori and Pacific communities. It has a large Samoan-inspired Tanoa bowl. Under the bowl, there are videos telling stories from local iwi (tribes).

Several artworks were made for Te Ao Mārama. The main gateway, Te Tatau Kaitiaki, was created by artist Graham Tipene. It shows two manaia (mythical figures). In the centre of the atrium are Manulua – two sculptures by Tongan artist Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi. They represent traditional lashing and the idea of unity.

Getting There by Train

Parnell railway station opened in 2017. It is in the suburb of Parnell, just east of the Museum. It was hoped that many museum visitors, especially students, would use this train station.

Collections and Exhibits

Auckland Museum has huge collections. They are organised into three main areas: historical documents, natural sciences, and human history. The museum works closely with other places in Auckland, like Auckland Libraries and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

Historical Documents

The museum's collection of historical documents is very important. It includes old letters, maps, newspapers, rare books, and photographs. These items focus on Māori and Pacific cultures, Auckland's history, New Zealanders in wars, and exploration. The museum has the only known copy of A Korao no New Zealand. This was the first book ever written in the Māori language, published in 1815.

Pictures and Art

The museum has millions of old paintings, watercolours, photographs, and other artworks. It has some of the earliest photos taken in New Zealand. This includes photos by William Fox Talbot. There are also very old photos called daguerreotypes and an ambrotype portrait of the Māori chief Tāmati Wāka Nene.

The collection also includes many photos from the late 1900s by photographer Robin Morrison. Other important photographers like Una Garlick and Margaret Matilda White are also featured. The museum holds photos from newspapers like the Auckland Star and New Zealand Herald. The paintings and drawings include works by famous artists like Charles Heaphy and George French Angas. There are also portraits of Māori people by C. F. Goldie and Gottfried Lindauer.

Old Papers and Records

The collection of old papers and records is one of the largest non-government archives in New Zealand. It includes records from large organisations and businesses. It also has smaller personal collections that show the lives of New Zealanders. This includes their time serving in the military overseas.

Some personal papers held here belong to famous people. These include the Williams family, who were pioneers. There are also papers from John Logan Campbell, who helped build Auckland. And, very importantly, the papers of the famous mountaineer and explorer Edmund Hillary.

Maps and Plans

The museum collects and looks after old maps. The map collection has many official New Zealand maps. It also has military maps from World War II. There are also old maps about the discovery of the Pacific Ocean and islands by Europeans.

Old Magazines and Newspapers

The museum has about 4,500 historical and current magazines and journals. Many of these are unique. The museum has the most important collection of Auckland newspapers in the country. These were donated by Wilson & Horton in 1967. They include newspapers from the early 1840s.

Museum Library

The museum's own research library is called Te Pātaka Mātāpuna. It is one of New Zealand's top heritage research libraries. Its collections of books focus on New Zealand topics. They help the museum staff with their work. The library also has many books in the Māori language. It has a great collection of rare books, some from the 16th century.

Natural Sciences

The museum's natural sciences collections are used for research. They help us learn about plants, animals, and minerals in New Zealand and the Pacific. The museum has 1.5 million natural history items. These cover botany (plants), entomology (insects), geology (rocks), land vertebrates (animals with backbones), and marine biology (sea life).

Plants (Botany)

The plant collection, called the Herbarium (AK), started in 1870. It helps the museum collect and keep plant materials. It also helps with education and research on New Zealand's plants. The collection focuses on wild plants from northern New Zealand and its islands. It has over 333,000 plant specimens. This includes many flowering plants, ferns, mosses, and algae. The museum also has a large collection of kauri gum.

Insects (Entomology)

The insect collection has about 250,000 catalogued specimens. It focuses on insects from northern New Zealand. It also includes other land and freshwater invertebrates like worms, spiders, and millipedes. This collection helps research into New Zealand's insects. In 2009, the museum received a collection of about 13,000 butterflies.

Rocks and Minerals (Geology)

The geology collection first focused on materials from the Waihi, Thames, and Coromandel gold fields. It has grown to include volcanic rocks. The collection has about 12,000 specimens. Many of these are very important to New Zealand.

Fossils (Paleontology)

The fossil collection started in the early 1900s. It has over 20,000 fossil specimens. This collection helps us understand how life has changed over millions of years. It also shows how New Zealand's land has changed.

Land Animals (Vertebrates)

The land animal collection has over 12,500 bird specimens. It also has 2,500 amphibians and reptiles, and 1,000 land mammals. Most of these are from Northern New Zealand. The collection is especially strong in kiwi and moa birds. It also has many seabirds, penguins, and tuatara.

Sea Life (Marine Biology)

The museum also has a large collection of marine specimens. These include many types of shells, corals, and other sea creatures.

Human History Collections

Arts and Design

The museum's Applied Arts and Design collection started in 1966. It includes ceramics, jewellery, furniture, glass, and textiles. It also has musical instruments and other art objects from around the world. The collection has nearly 7,000 objects. It shows important makers, designs, and styles from Auckland and other cultures.

Musical Instruments

In 1996, the museum got a collection of over 480 musical instruments from Zillah and Ronald Castle. This collection has rare violins, an 18th-century harpsichord, and many instruments from New Zealand's early days. It includes almost every type of un-powered instrument that can make music.

Māori Treasures (Taonga Māori)

The museum has a large collection of Māori and Pacific Island artefacts. This includes Hotunui, a large whare rūnanga (carved meeting house) built in 1878. It also has Te Toki-a-Tapiri, a Māori war canoe from 1830. The Māori collection is very important in New Zealand. It helps us understand Māori art and culture. The museum's collection of Māori musical instruments is the largest in the country.

Pacific Cultures

The museum's Pacific collection has a wide range of arts and items from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. It covers cultures from West Papua to Hawaii and Easter Island. These objects are collected for their cultural or artistic importance.

World Cultures

The World (Foreign Ethnology) collection is the largest and most important of its kind in New Zealand. It shows a good range of arts and items from non-Western, non-Pacific, and non-Māori cultures. It is important for showing the diversity of world cultures.

War Memorial Role

View of The Cenotaph headstones.

The museum has a permanent exhibition called "Scars on the Heart". It covers wars like the New Zealand Wars and New Zealand's involvement in overseas conflicts. These include the First and Second World Wars, the Anglo-Boer War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It also covers New Zealand's role in UN Peacekeeping missions. This exhibition shows models of Māori pā (fortified settlements) and real Spitfire and Mitsubishi Zero aeroplanes.

In 2016, a memorial enquiry centre called Pou Maumahara was opened. In 2017, the museum opened Pou Kanohi: New Zealand at War. This new exhibition tells young people about New Zealand's experiences in World War I.

Parts of the museum, along with the Cenotaph and its surrounding grounds, serve as a war memorial. They mainly honour those who died in the First and Second World Wars. Inside the museum, there are two "Halls of Memory". Their walls list the names of all known New Zealand soldiers from the Auckland Region who died in major conflicts during the 20th century.

In early 2010, the Auckland City Council improved the area in front of the museum. They added a new water feature and upgraded walkways. This work was finished in mid-2010.

Museum Leadership

Roger Lins in 2023

The museum is run by a group called a trust board. This board has duties and powers set out in the Auckland War Memorial Museum Act 1996. Their most important job is to look after the museum and its large collections.

The Act also says the Board must appoint a Māori Committee. This committee is called the Taumata-ā-Iwi. It is made up of members from Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Pāoa, and Tainui. This committee advises the Trust Board on matters related to Māori culture and the Treaty of Waitangi. They also advise on Māori customs within the museum and with Māori people in general.

The Auckland Museum Institute also helps run the museum. It appoints four members to the Museum Trust Board. This institute was started in 1867. It is an independent group that also does public outreach and education.

Past Leaders of the Museum

The museum has had many leaders over the years. Here are some of the people who have been in charge:

• 1852–1857: John Alexander Smith
• 1869–1873: Thomas Kirk
• 1874–1923: Thomas Frederick Cheeseman
• 1924–1964: Sir Gilbert Archey
• 1964–1979: Evan Graham Turbott
• 1979–1993: Graham Stuart Park
• 1994–2007: Rodney Wilson
• 2007–2010: Vanda Vitali
• 2010–2011: Sir Don McKinnon
• 2011–2016: Roy Clare
• 2017–2023: David Gaimster
• 2023–present: David Reeves

Images for kids

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  Auckland War Memorial Museum