Stories

Peter and Barbara, once apex predators and now household names, have proved a huge sensation since their arrival last year. But who are our resident T. rex, and what can they tell us about their prehistoric pasts? In this blog, discover the stories embedded deep in the bones of these mighty creatures.

There's a new, and very old addition to the Ancient Worlds Gallery. A selection of coins from antiquity are now on display. Discover their stories in this blog by Deirdre Harrison Collection Manager Archaeology, and what they can tell us about about the societies that used them.

Despite being intentionally cultivated for over 100 years, Boston ivy has started to naturalise across three cities in New Zealand at the same time. Ewen Cameron, Curator Botany, and botany volunteer Shelley Heiss-Dunlop recently penned an article to shed some light on this discovery, and what it might mean for our environment.

Among the millions of precious taonga in the Museum’s care can be found objects great and small. This waka is one of the largest, and it recently had to be moved between secure storage locations. This blog by Collection Storage Technician Craig Collier describes its journey.

The New Zealand Army had a long-term presence in South East Asia. Including the 1st Battalion (1RNZIR) base in Singapore post-Vietnam up until 1974. Online Cenotaph has very few records for this period of service and so we jumped at the chance to interview nurse Pamela (Pam) Todd who had served in South East Asia in 1972.

Warrant Officer Ron Hands (Ret.) kindly provided the following article in response to a call for submissions printed in the Spring 2022 Edition of the Veteran's News. Ron was a Chef with 1RNZIR at Terendak Camp, 1968-1970.

The Barber family had four sons who served in the First World War. Matthew Nickless’ grandmother still remembers her grandfather and his brothers, and he uses those memories and family stories to trace the path of the family through the war and into peace.

Lance Corporal Te Hira Wati Heremaia served with both the New Zealand Special Air Service and as part of the New Zealand Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion. During his tours in Vietnam he took many photos, preserving his wartime experience. Our thanks to Te Hira’s granddaughter, Taylen Heremaia, who got in contact and made the generous offer to share her grandfather’s slides.

In the depths of the wet collection in the entomology department at Tāmaki Paenga Hira, a termite collection was recently rediscovered that had been given to the museum by John Mackgill Kelsey in March 1975. These have recently been catalogued by our IDEA project team.

“Those who are acquainted with the working of the Museum are aware that it has arrived at a stage in its history when the growth of its collections has altogether overtaken the existing accommodation ... one conclusion remains:- to erect a new Museum for Auckland, planned on such a scale, and equipped in such a manner, that it may adequately serve for the recreation, instruction and intellectual advancement of the people of Auckland.”

The palaeontology collection at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum is home to approximately 23,000 fossil specimens from Aotearoa and abroad. This includes the bones of ancient sea monsters, ammonites the size of tractor tires, and tiny foraminifera no bigger than a grain of sand.

What do you think of when you think of the preservation of animals? Perhaps you imagine taxidermied animals, or the bleached white bones of an animal. Something that is often forgotten are the diaphonised specimens. Here Grace Yee shares more about the diaphonised shore skinks (Oligosoma smithi), at Tāmaki Paenga Hira.