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Maria Island

Aotearoa is now a world leader in conservation and particularly protecting islands from the ravages of the invasive hordes, but did you know that it is in the Hauraki Gulf that the dream of a predator free New Zealand first began?

Chaos and Order

Ancient Egyptian religion was complex and polytheistic, with multiple deities representing and controlling aspects of the natural environment and concepts such as love and creativity. The worship and rituals associated with these deities formed a core part of ancient Egyptian life and maintaining Ma’at, or divine order, peace and balance.

Discovering
'The Homeopathic Echo'

During a recent collection shift, Paula Legel, Associate Curator, Heritage Publications stumbled upon ‘The Homeopathic Echo’ and immediately knew she had found something special. To find a specialist health magazine published in Auckland as early as 1855 was astonishing. Read on to discover the unlikely story of this unique taonga.

SAVE OUR TREES

Kauri forests, once extensive in the Auckland, Northland and Waikato regions, were decimated by the logging industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Auckland was built on kauri both literally and figuratively – kauri logging provided the materials for physically building the growing city’s infrastructure, and from 1850-1900, kauri gum was Auckland’s main export. It is now estimated that no more than 4% of original kauri forests remain. What little kauri forest we have left is now at risk, but there are things we can do to help protect our precious ngahere (forests).

How did Auckland Museum get its Egyptian collection?

Auckland Museum houses nearly 2000 artefacts from Egypt. Their ages ranging from 10,000 years old, to the time of the pharaohs, and more recently. But how did these items find their way to a Museum on the other side of the world? In this blog, Dr Josh Emmitt, Curator Archaeology, lifts the lid on the not often told history of museum acquisitions.

Lucky Dip Matariki Collection

Each garment of the Matariki capsule collection by Lucky Dip, created by Tuhirangi Blair, is named for one of the stars in the Matariki cluster, plus the father, Rehua. Come along and discover the inspiration and meaning behind these one-off garments.

Dragonflies and Damselflies
of The Cook Islands

In this blog for ‘Epetoma ō te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani (Cook Islands Language Week) we take a closer look at the Cook Islands dragonfly and damselfly specimens in our collection, and see what they can teach researchers about the ecology and evolution of these special creatures.

A brief history of
publishing in Kiribati

This Kiribati Language Week, we’re focusing on the origins of early printing presses and highlighting the contribution from the local people of Kiribati, or Gilbert Island as it was then known, in creating the physical books.

What did the ancient Egyptians ever do for us?

Ancient Egypt covers over 3,000 years of history. Over time there were many changes and developments in technology, some of which we still use today, albeit in a slightly different form. Here we look at some of the things that have come through time to us, including paper, ink, toothpaste, and hair products.

Pepe and Pepe Lelefua:
Samoan Butterflies and Moths

The Museum holds over 250,000 insect specimens, with some specimens over 100 years old. In this blog for Samoan Language Week, Melissa Kirk our R T Shannon Assistant Curator of Entomology, takes a closer look at pepe and pepe lelefua, the butterflies and moths of the Samoan archipelago.

Gilbert Archey,
Monuments Man

Art and cultural heritage are often among the early casualties of war, suffering destruction and theft amidst the chaos of conflict. To combat this, in WWII the Allied forces mobilised the Monuments Men and Women to protect the art and cultural monuments of war-struck nations. Read on to learn the fascinating story of our very own Monuments Man, and former Auckland Museum director Sir Gilbert Archey.

Entomology excursions

From urban streams, to the Waitakere bush, our Natural Sciences team have been getting hands on beyond the Museum's walls to help protect one of Auckland’s most previous taonga: the environment. Find out what the team have been up to, and how you can take part in an eco-initiative in your area.

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