For New Zealand and Sāmoa the First World War began in August 1914, when a New Zealand Expeditionary Force party landed in Apia and claimed the islands from Germany. Just over a century later, a shipping container and two Auckland Museum staff arrived in Apia – this time to work with the Museum of Sāmoa to tell the stories of this 'entangled' relationship.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum exhibition, Entangled Islands: Sāmoa, New Zealand and the First World War, was the first in a series of exhibitions commemorating the centenary. Recognising the importance of this shared history, Auckland Museum gifted the exhibition to the Museum of Sāmoa. Project manager Tanya Wilkinson travelled to Apia to help set up the exhibition in its new home. This is her first post in a series from Sāmoa.

Entangled Islands on tour

Thursday 23 July

In contrast to the cold and wet Auckland weather, it was a very warm day when the exhibition production manager Grant Rewi and I stepped off the plane. We headed into Apia to see where we were going to be installing the Entangled Islands exhibition.

After meeting with New Zealand's Deputy High Commissioner, Roger Cornforth, we travelled to the Museum of Sāmoa to meet the Director, Lumepa Apelu, and her staff Mainifo Viliamu and Ailini Eteuati. 

We were very pleased to see the shipping container that brought the exhibition over from Auckland was sitting safely outside the museum.

Unpacking the shipping container

Friday 24 July

Now for the hard work! A group of strong guys helped Grant to unpack the exhibition from the shipping container and carry it up a couple of flights of stairs into the gallery spaces. Not an easy job, especially in 27+ degrees!

By the end of the second day, the exhibition was not only in the building but mostly assembled.

All the various pieces of the exhibition are there and accounted for, and there is also a rough layout planned for the space. We're all ready for a big week starting on Monday!