Foreword
The last year has been a formative period for the Museum. We’ve had a record 931,487 visitors through our doors and achieved selfgenerated revenue that’s over $1 million above our full year budget, a 5% growth on FY 2016/17.
This represents a transformational shift from previous years driven off a strongly appealing exhibition programme, supported by a rich series of gallery events and public programmes including the major international exhibition Brickman: Wonders of the World and the hugely successful, sold-out series of Night at the Museum and the LATE curated evenings.
Ninety-nine percent of visitors rate the Museum as a place to learn new things and 81% of Aucklanders agree that the Museum is an important part of the Auckland community.
The development and adoption of our new Five-Year Strategic Plan was a key highlight for FY 2017/18, setting a pathway to help us achieve our long-term goal to be a leading museum in Australasia and globally.
We have created a strong platform, which is allowing us to embark on our transformation strategy from a place of strength.
We are working towards creating a world-class museum experience within our walls and have mobilised our capital improvement programme. Over the next five years, we plan to increase our gallery space by 30% and our visitor space by 50% as we create a venue where visitors can meet, learn and explore.
People are seeking to reconnect with their heritage and culture, and as a repository of history and knowledge, we are continuing to increase access for the diverse communities across Auckland. Being Chinese in Aotearoa: A photographic journey is a great example of our collaboration and partnership with the different cultures who make up the face of Auckland city.
We want to bring the world to Auckland and, alongside our peers, tourism and community partners, we are collaborating to provide wider and easier access to tourists seeking information on the history and culture of our city.
As an encyclopaedic museum, we are a repository of knowledge on the human and natural worlds. We are using this knowledge to ‘stretch thinking’ – to start conversations, enable debate and allow connections to be made between man and our environment. This year, we have been reviewing our research strategy, talking to tertiary and other educational institutions about sharing the information we hold, and enabling the creation of new forms of knowledge.
Our ability to be a vital and exciting part of Auckland’s cultural heart is due to the leadership, efforts and support of a wide range of individuals and organisations. In particular, we would like to acknowledge and thank the staff and volunteers who are the heart of our organisation.
We are appreciative of the ongoing support of the Museum Institute, the Auckland Museum Foundation, the RSA, our sponsorship partners and the many cultural and creative organisations with whom we collaborate.
We appreciate the leadership of our Trust Board and the guidance of our treaty partner, the Taumata-ā-Iwi. This year, we were delighted to welcome Orchid Atimalala as the new Chair of the Auckland Museum Trust Board. On the final page she talks about her passion for the Museum and creating a venue about which every Aucklander can say “this is my place”.
FY 2017/18 was a year of strengthening our platform for the next stage of our transformation, and much has been achieved. We are looking forward to moving ahead as we create a modern, inclusive and dynamic Museum experience.

Dr David Gaimster
CEO, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Orchid Atimalala
Chair, Auckland Museum Trust Board

Precious Clark
Chair, Taumata-ā-Iwi