The star Hiwaiterangi (Greek: Calaeno) is the star associated with granting our wishes and realising our aspirations for the coming year. Curator Pacific Cultures Rachel Yates talks about the whetū Hiwaiterangi and the connection to our collections.Read more
The star Waitī (Greek: Maia) is associated with all freshwater, and food sources that are sustained by those waters. Curator Mātauranga Māori Matiu Baker talks about a connection to this whetū in our collections.Read more
The star Waipunarangi (Greek: Electra) is associated with the rain and water that pools. Learning Specialist Leroy de Thierry talks about a connection to Waipunarangi with a special kind of pākē (rain cape) in our collection.Read more
There are nine stars in the Matariki star cluster. It has many different names around the world, and is known as the Pleiades – its ancient Greek name – or the Seven Sisters in English. The Hawaiian name is Makali‘i, or ‘eyes of royalty’, and in Japan it is Subaru,Read more
The star Tupuārangi (Greek: Atlas) is associated with everything that grows up in the trees: fruits, berries, and birds. Kaitiaki Taonga Collection Manager Humanities Cameron Woodford talks about the connection of Tupuārangi to taonga in our collections.Read more
The star Matariki (Greek: Alcyone) signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment, and the gathering of people. Matariki is also connected to the health and wellbeing of people. Kaitohutohu Rautaki-ā-Iwi Strategic Advisor Iwi Relationships Watene Campbell talks about how te ponga in our collections connects to the whetū (star) Matariki. Read more
Were you one of the hundreds who came to the Museum or watched online last year? Make sure you pencil Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 June 2010 in your diary – Kaumātua Kapa Haka is back for Matariki! Come and watch the grace, elegance and beauty of senior Māori performing artists on Saturday 12 and [...]
In partnership with TelstraClear and NZ Post, this year’s Matariki festivities include a unique photography event utilising the existing OurSpace infrastructure as well as the newly developed OurSpace TelstraClear Screen, scheduled for installation on the front exterior of the building in the coming month.
St Valentine's widow spider
In honour of Valentine’s Day this post will look at the wonderful world of courtship in the spider genus Latrodectus, more commonly known as the widow spiders. Readers of my previous post will recall this genus includes species such as the American black widow (Latrodectus mactans), the Australian redback (L. hasseltii) and the New Zealand katipo (L. katipo), all
Margaret Stoddart, Roses, 1920s
In Europe during the 1300s February 14th was thought to be the day when birds paired off to mate. This date was originally an ancient Greco-Roman pagan festival, and was later called St Valentines Day Feast by the Church. Since the 1300s, on February 14th each year, roses (and flowers in general), have been widely accepted as gifts and Saint Valentines Day is now
With an estimated quarter of a million negatives, the Spencer Digby / Ronald D. Woolf Collection is a treasure trove of images of faces and moments from Wellington’s past. The collection ranges from the 1930s to the 1980s and includes studio portraits, wedding photographs, and shots from community events like wrestling tournaments and cat shows among many other things.
An emotional immersive storytelling experience using live electronic music, song and poetry performance to share the history of the Girmit people who were taken from India to Fiji for indentured servitude.
