Te Papa

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually called Te Papa, which means 'the treasure box' in Māori, it opened in 1998. It was created by joining the National Museum of New Zealand and the National Art Gallery.

Every year, more than 1.1 million people visit Te Papa, making it the 58th-most-visited art gallery in the world in 2023. The museum has a special way of working that includes both Māori and New Zealand cultures. It focuses on the stories behind its treasures, showing how they are still part of today’s world.

History

The first predecessor to Te Papa was the Colonial Museum, founded in 1865. It was built on Museum Street and focused on scientific collections but also gathered many other items like prints, paintings, and interesting objects from different cultures. In 1907, it was renamed the Dominion Museum.

In 1930, the National Art Gallery and the Dominion Museum began sharing the same board. In 1934, the Art Gallery moved into the Dominion Museum building. A new building for both opened in 1936 as part of the National War Memorial.

Te Papa was established in 1992 and officially opened on February 14, 1998. Its name, Te Papa Tongarewa, means "container of treasured things and people from mother Earth here in New Zealand." The museum focuses on New Zealand's culture, history, and environment. It quickly became popular, attracting one million visitors in its first five months and has continued to draw many visitors each year.

The current Te Papa building is located on reclaimed land. Before the museum was built, a hotel was moved to make space. The building was designed by Jasmax Architects and includes six floors of exhibitions, cafés, and shops. It also features outdoor areas with caves, native plants, and wetlands.

Governance and leadership

Te Papa is managed by a board chosen by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Some important board members have been Wira Gardiner, Fiona Campbell, Sue Piper, Judith Tizard, John Judge, Miria Pomare, Michael Bassett, Christopher Parkin, Sandra Lee, Ngātata Love, Ron Trotter, Glenys Coughlan, Judith Binney, Philip Carter, Wendy Lai, and Api Mahuika.

Leaders of the museum have included:

• James Hector (1865–1903)
• Augustus Hamilton (1903–1913)
• James Allan Thomson (1914–1928)
• Walter Oliver (1928–1947)
• Robert Falla (1947–1966)
• John Yaldwyn (1980–1989)

Top leaders of Te Papa have been:

• Cheryll Sotheran (1992–2002)
• Cliff Whiting (1995–1999) – joint leader or Kaihautū
• Seddon Bennington (2003 – July 2009)
• Michael Houlihan (Aug 2010 – May 2014)
• Rick Ellis (Nov 2014 – May 2017)
• Geraint Martin (May 2017 – 2019)
• Courtney Johnston (2019–present) and Arapata Hakiwai (Kaihautū, Māori co-leader) (2014–present).

Collections

The History Collection has many dresses, textiles, and items from the past, some dating back to the 1500s. It also includes stamps, historic items from the Pacific Islands, and important objects from different cultures.

Te Papa has special collections of fossils, plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. It even holds the world's largest colossal squid, which weighs as much as a car and is longer than a school bus. The museum also cares for valuable old furniture and paintings from England and France.

Archives

The archives are in a separate building on 169 Tory Street and are open for researchers by appointment. There are two types of collections: the Museum Archive and the Collected Archives.

The Museum Archive started in 1865 when the Colonial Museum was founded and includes records from James Hector and the National Art Gallery of New Zealand. The Collected Archives have two groups: art-related records from people like Toss Woollaston, Lois White, and Leonard Mitchell, and other historical materials. These include the diary of Felton Mathew, who was Surveyor General when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, as well as battle plans and letters from World War I, such as the Gallipoli diary of Captain E.P. Cox.

Exhibitions

Te Papa has many different exhibits. Some are always there, showing stories about New Zealand history, Māori culture, and nature. Many exhibits are hands-on and fun for kids, with spaces outside too. One special area is called Rongomaraeroa, a marae with beautiful carvings.

Some shows change over time. In 2019, a big new exhibit called Te Taiao Nature opened. It is 1,400 square metres and shows New Zealand's natural world. Visitors can see cool things like an earthquake house and a very large Colossal squid.

Library

Te Aka Matua Research Library used to be open to the public, but now you can visit it by appointment. It is open from 10am to 5pm on weekdays, Monday through Friday. The library is a big place for research and has lots of books about New Zealand, Māori culture, nature, art, photography, and museum studies. You can find it on the fourth floor of the main building.

Mahuki Innovation Accelerator

Mahuki was a special program at Te Papa. It helped 10 teams work together to create new ideas and solutions for problems that cultural places face.

Controversies

The museum has sometimes been the center of discussion. Some people worried about placing important collections near water on land that was built up, close to an active fault. There have also been discussions about some exhibits not showing respect, like putting a major artwork next to a refrigerator.

The Māori name of the museum caused some disagreement. In 1989, the Māori iwi Te Āti Awa asked the Ngāti Whakaue iwi for a name. They were given Kuru Tongarerewa, an important ceremonial name. However, the museum later used Te Papa Tongarewa, which some felt was not right. Talks happened about changing it back, but this did not happen.

In 2018 and 2019, changes in museum staff caused discussion. Some experts and scientists criticized the museum for its decisions about certain jobs.

In 1998, an artwork called Virgin in a Condom by British artist Tania Kovats caused strong feelings among some people. Many felt it was disrespectful and protested. The museum chose not to remove the artwork, saying it wanted to encourage discussion about meanings and ideas.

In 2010, advice given to pregnant and menstruating women to avoid some behind-the-scenes tours caused questions. The museum said this was because of Māori beliefs about certain items for safety.

In 2019, some tribal elders objected to the museum lending a painting to another gallery. The museum hoped the painting would start talks about historical views.

Also in 2019, the museum showed a container of brown water in an exhibition. Some people felt this did not correctly show water quality in New Zealand.

In 2020, some children saw a video that showed a nude person, which led families to ask for better warning signs. The museum agreed to make these signs clearer.

In December 2023, a display about the Treaty of Waitangi was damaged by protesters who felt it was misleading. Twelve people were arrested, and the museum said they understood the concerns and would update the display.