In the past, this was a dedicated whare, or house, where aspects of the fine arts of Māori weaving were taught. Today, ‘Te Whare Pora’ is more of a state of mind of an expert senior weaver, who carries or embodies the values, skills and knowledge of this discipline, aRead more
Perhaps you know where some of the photographs below were taken? If you can help, please note the number related to each image with your comment below. Click on the images to enable enlargement. 1) Its summer here… 2) North Island wharf 3) Is it Otago harbour? And if so,Read more
Today, two rare species of forget-me-nots have been added to the Flora of New Zealand. These new species were discovered during an expedition I led to Kahurangi National Park, one of the hotspot for forget-me-nots diversity in New Zealand. These new species, Myosotis chaffeyorum (Chaffey’s Forget-me-not) and Myosotis mooreana (Moore’s forget-me-not) are described and illustratedRead more
When we think about about orchids we usually think about tropical islands or unexplored jungle-covered mountains in distant lands. This is not always the case, and many orchids are also found in temperate and cold regions of the world. Some orchids have even reached the Subantarctic islands where, not so long ago,Read more
After being away from work for over two months it was such a joy to see the Kahu Ora exhibition again. Over 48,000 people have visited so far in the two and a half months since its opening. That’s really amazing. One of the aims of this exhibition was to bringRead more
In my last post I touched on the shipwreck of the Dundonald on Disappointment Island in 1907, and the rescue of its survivors by the Hinemoa when she was taking scientists to the Auckland Islands. The Auckland Islands were on a major shipping route, but the available charts were not always accurate,Read more
The Amazon Softball Club, the first and last lesbian softball club in New Zealand, has kindly donated a selection of team uniforms and ephemera to Te Papa. The Amazons formed at the height of gay liberation in 1977. The Wellington based club provided a space for lesbians to socialise, findRead more
Today’s post is the last in our blog series for Cook Islands language week (6-8 August). I have decided to look at a variety of ‘ei taomi pare (hatbands) from the Pacific Cultures collection. Usually ‘ei taomi pare are placed on a hat around the crown area. These ‘ei are separated fromRead more
To celebrate Cook Islands language week, the Pacific Cultures team are blogging about collection items from the Cook Islands. Here, Safua Akeli talks about the mu’umu’u (dress) worn in the Cook Islands. These mu’umu’u (dress) are part of a number of dresses acquired by the Pacific Cultures collection in 2009 from Tepaeru Tereora. Tereora was theRead more
Tauhunu As part of Cook Islands language week we are highlighting artefacts from the Cook Islands collections. One of the treasures we look after here at Te Papa is a stunning canoe that appears at the entrance of the exhibition Tangata o le Moana: the story of Pacific people andRead more
On Saturday I joined the Wellington Botanical Society’s field trip to Wright Hill in Karori, Wellington. Wellington city would not be my first choice of locality for fern spotting, but we still found plenty to keep me interested. The filmy ferns Hymenophyllum flexuosum and Trichomanes endlicherianum are always pleasing finds.Read more
Little spotted kiwi (kiwi pukupuku) only occur in New Zealand, where there are around 1500 individuals remaining. They are the smallest kiwi species, about the size of a bantam hen, and are very susceptible to predation by introduced mammals, such as stoats and dogs. Today they survive on predator-free offshoreRead more
by Becs Thomas, Assistant Head Teacher, Tai Tamariki Kindergarten The experience of having Tai Tamariki Kindergarten children’s kākahu displayed in Kahu Ora Living Cloaks has been a wonderful learning journey for our kindergarten community, both culturally and in the learning of exhibition protocol and process. This week the second of ourRead more
Twenty-six years ago the Homosexual Law Reform Bill was signed into law by the Governor General (11 July 1986).Read more
After a successful season at the Venice Biennale, in Paris and Christchurch, Michael Parekowhai’s On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer will make its final stop at the national museum, Te Papa. Opening Saturday 25 August, a specially reconfigured installation will be shown in a single gallery space for four weeksRead more
