Registrations are now open for Museum Victoria’s War & Emotions symposium, which is being held at the Melbourne Museum in September in association with the exhibition WWI: Love & Sorrow. The symposium will explore new perspectives and understandings of the emotional and physical impacts of World War I. The symposium will feature internationalRead more
For many years, Te Papa botanists have included Otari-Wilton’s Bush collections in their research. Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton’s Bush Reserve is a special place in Wellington it’s “the only public botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants”. This makes it an important educational and research resourceRead more
Over 60 Matariki Wellington events will take place across the region from 13 June to 12 July Matariki is a truly Aotearoa New Zealand celebration. It celebrates Aotearoa’s own cycles of nature, tied to the southern hemisphere’s seasons and stars, and marks the end of one cycle and the beginning ofRead more
During the coldest time each year, the Matariki star cluster comes rising up for the first time in the eastern sky. This occurrence marks the beginning of an important time of year: the Māori New Year. This is a time for coming together with whānau (family) to think about the pastRead more
Te Papa Botany researchers Heidi Meudt, Jessie Prebble and Phil Garnock-Jones have recently co-authored a new paper in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society on the genus Veronica, which includes northern speedwells and New Zealand and Australian hebes. This paper is the first major publication from Heidi’s research stay in Oldenburg,Read more
NGĀ TOI ARTS TE PAPA KANOHI KITEA Ahakoa he iti whetū ki runga ki te rangi nui pōkēkēao ūhia kia ngaro, e kore e ngaro. Even though the stars shining in the nights sky might be obscured by a passing cloud, they will never be obliterated! This whakataukī (proverb)Read more
Ngā rau kura – Precious feathers In 2007 I identified the birds in Te Papa’s Māori cloaks using microscopic analyses of feather down and museum bird skin comparisons. My findings have provided a deeper knowledge of the museum’s natural history and Māori collections but also an appreciation and understanding ofRead more
In 2015, Te Papa is creating a teacher resource to support you to ‘do science’ in your own backyard/outdoor environments – with a focus on the invertebrates who make these places home. It is very exciting to share our first update from one of the three Early Childhood Centres working with us!Read more
It is the beginning of June in New Zealand and if you are a photographer it is the perfect time to go camping. Despite the dire warnings from his friend (referred to as ‘Titfaddle’) concerning the folly of making a six week camping trip in the middle of winter, Alfred Burton and his son Harold, leftRead more
A new paper by Te Papa researchers and their colleagues from Massey University, NIWA and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, describes not one but THREE new species of hagfish. This increases the total number species found in New Zealand waters to eight. What are hagfish? These strange creatures, alsoRead more
Some time ago now, the Te Papa Science team completed the process of collecting, identifying and storing terrestrial plants from a low-stature plant community on Wellington’s South Coast. Over 100 species of seed plant, ferns, lichens, moss, liverwort and seaweed were collected. This total comprised approximately 69 indigenous and 33 naturalised plantRead more
In this Gallipoli: The scale of our war blog, Weta Workshop’s Rob Murphy talks about overseeing the installation of the exhibition. I’d only been working at Weta Workshop for about eight weeks when the first pieces of the Gallipoli exhibition started to hit the floor and work their way intoRead more
Te Papa was thrilled to work with Production Shed TV in 2013 and 2014 on a documentary inspired by the Berry & Co. soldier portraits held in the museum’s collection. The documentary, which was originally produced for TVNZ, features the stories of six soldiers depicted in the collection. This June, you have the opportunity to seeRead more
Well not quite yellow polka dot but a bikini made from a shirt worn in one of New Zealand’s most iconic portraits. This treasured textile was shared by Auckland art dealer, Anna Miles, and is one of many images shared on Instagram and Twitter using our hashtags #Tivaevae #Textiletreasures Read more
The industrious Lethbridge sisters Earlier this year Te Papa was approached by Red Strand Design. Based in Cork and London, the company specialises in design-based cultural and education projects. They invited us to take part in Passion & Legacy, a project inspired by the incredible stitch work of the ‘Lethbridge Sisters’, Julia Baroness Carew (1863-1922)Read more
