Torpedo Bay Navy Museum facts for kids
The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum as of June 2012
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| Established | 9 October 2010 |
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| Location | Devonport, New Zealand |
| Type | Naval history |
The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum is the official museum for the Royal New Zealand Navy. It opened in 2010. This museum replaced an older navy museum. You can find it in Devonport, which is part of Auckland.
Contents
History of the Museum
The first museum for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) started in 1974. It was in just one room inside HMNZS Philomel. This was the navy's main office in Devonport.
Early Days of the Museum
At first, the museum was only open to navy staff. They could visit for two hours each week. Other groups could also see the museum if they made an appointment. In 1982, the museum moved to a small building on Spring Street. This building was still too small for all the navy's history.
On October 9, 2010, the RNZN Museum moved to a bigger place. Its new home is at Torpedo Bay in Devonport. The museum is in buildings built in 1896. These old buildings were used to control naval mines at the entrance of Waitematā Harbour. The buildings were made new again for about NZ$1.5 million.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum shows New Zealand's naval history. You can learn about events from the Flagstaff War in 1845 until today.
Famous Ships and Charms
One display is about HMS New Zealand. This was a large British warship called a battlecruiser. New Zealand paid for it. The display includes a special piupiu. A piupiu is a traditional Māori warrior's skirt. It was given to the ship's captain in 1913. The captains wore this piupiu in battles during World War I. They believed it brought them good luck.
World War Stories
You can also see exhibits about World War II. These include stories about the cruiser HMNZS Achilles. There's also a display about a battle on January 29, 1943. In this fight, small New Zealand minesweepers, HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Moa, fought a bigger Japanese submarine I-1. This battle happened near the island of Guadalcanal.
The museum also covers the RNZN's part in other conflicts. These include the Korean War, Malayan Emergency, and Vietnam War. You can learn about their work in the Gulf War and the War in Afghanistan. The navy also helped with New Zealand peacekeeping during the Yugoslav Wars.
The museum shows the navy's work when there isn't a war. This includes protecting fisheries (making sure fishing rules are followed). They also do search and rescue missions. The navy helps with disaster relief and creates hydrographic surveys (maps of the sea).
