Blog

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.

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.

In August, Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa, weaver and Pou Ārahi Curator Māori at Auckland Museum led a changeout of the textiles cases in Te Marae Ātea Māori Court. In this blog, discover the kaupapa behind the change and what this exciting renewal means for the gallery.

The display representing New Zealand’s occupation of Samoa, this country’s opening action in the First World War, may be small but the objects in the case are anything but mute. They embody the voices of the participants whose collision in that wartime action significantly changed the trajectories of three nations: Samoa, New Zealand and Germany.

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving British monarch in history, and ruled over a period of history that saw Aotearoa New Zealand establish its distinct identity. Here, we reflect on the Queen's time as head of state, sharing some interesting items from our collection.

When you think of a Tuatara's natural habitat, a war memorial museum is probably the last place that comes to mind. In this blog, Grace Yee, Collection Technician for the IDEA project shares with us the peculiar story of Auckland Museum's rooftop tuatara, who lived on top of the Museum until the mid 1940s.

Childhood collections are nothing to be toyed with. A hobby collection can be serious business, helping future generations get a glimpse into by-gone days and sometimes from the unintended unique perspective of a child. Having recently processed a collection of 182 pencils gathered up by a young lad during the late 1960s-early 1970s, Sarndra Lees - Collection Manager, History, examines what this little treasure trove can teach us today.

Without proper record keeping, the stories behind our taonga would be at risk of being forgotten. Digitising collection records is not only a way of preserving the identities of collection items, but also a way to improve access for people across the world to engage with their taonga and maintain those connections. In this article, Lauren Boesley, team member of the IDEA (Improved Documentation Enhanced Access) project shares her work digitising the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Island

People have always found a way to tell stories. As well as the oral and written traditions; music, performance and art have been used through the ages. One particularly beautiful form of storytelling can be found in Ancient Greek vase painting. Combining the poetic with the practical, Greek vases can depict myths, legends, or stories through the use of symbols and people easily recognisable to contemporary audiences. In this article, Deirdre Harrison Collection Manager, Archaeology, examines a w

There are over 4 million items in our collection, but every item has an individual story and particular significance. In this blog we're shining a spotlight on some our more unique items, presented by those who know the collections best.

For Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoan Language Week we take a closer look at O le Sulu Samoa, one of the oldest and longest-running news periodicals in the Pacific. ʻSulu’ means ʻtorch’ or ‘light’ in Samoan. Published primarily in the Samoan language by the London Missionary Society from 1839, early issues of the Sulu are rare and difficult to access today with holdings largely held in archives outside Samoa. In this blog, our guest contributors Litara Ieremia-Allan, Wanda Ieremia-Allan and Rev