The Collected Archives span a considerable breadth, and fall into two main groups. The first features New Zealand artists such as Lois White, Leonard Mitchell, and many others. A highlight here are the unpublished autobiographical manuscripts of the renowned New Zealand artist Sir Tosswill Woollaston. more>
The development of the National Collection began in 1905 under the guidance of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Artworks purchased between 1905 and 1936 formed the basis of the collection and included early New Zealand and international works with an emphasis on Britain. more>
The History Collection is a rich and diverse store of some 25,000 items. There are over 7000 items of dress and textiles, the oldest of which dates back to the sixteenth century. An ‘international’ collection holds some 2000 items from Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas, including material collected by James Cook during his voyages. more>
The foundation of the Pacific Collection was laid in the early days of the Colonial Museum in the nineteenth century, when some important gifts were received. These gifts included a cloak made from wool and fibre derived from an indigenous Cook Island plant. It was presented to the New Zealand government by a Cook Island chief. more>
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa has over 30,000 taonga (cultural treasures) registered in the Taonga Maori Collection. more>
With approximately 1.5 million collection lots, this is the largest, most comprehensive collection of New Zealand fauna and flora, with most major taxonomic groups of plants and animals in our biota represented. more>