New Zealand Maritime Museum

The New Zealand Maritime Museum is New Zealand's premier maritime museum. It is located on Hobson Wharf Auckland, adjacent to Viaduct Harbour. It houses exhibitions spanning New Zealands maritime history from the first Polynesian explorers to modern day triumphs at the America's Cup.

Its Maori name is 'Te Huiteanaui-A-Tangaroa' - holder of the treasures of Tangaroa (the Sea God).

Collections

The museum cares for a number of collections and permanent exhibitions (as of 2006):^[1]

Main exhibitions, concentrating on:
- Polynesian, Maori vessels and navigation
- European voyages of discovery
- Settlement and immigration
- Early coastal trading
- Whaling and sealing
- Modern commercial shipping
- Lifeboat, pilotage and coastguard services
- Navigation and marine surveying
- Maritime art and crafts
- Recreation and sporting maritime activities
- Maritime trades
- Harbour and port history

Collections, documentation:
- New Zealand Maritime Index - documents about maritime topics
- New Zealand Maritime Record - photos and articles about NZ ships
- Northern Steamship Company - website about the historical company
- Bill Laxon Maritime Library - photos, charts and other documents
- Lighthouses in New Zealand - documentation about lighthouse topics
- New Zealand Maritime Firsts - achievements of NZ in maritime areas
- Geneaology Documentation - immigration shipping lists, documents
Art collections (maritime paintings):
- Edmiston Collection
- Fraser Collection

Seaworthy ships

In addition to a number of reconstructed or preserved ships in the building itself, the museum also owns a number of vessels that are normally berthed outside of the museum:^[1]

Breeze, 1982 reproduction of a brigantine for NZ coastal trade
Puke, late 19th century steam engine tender for coastal and river logging trade
Rapaki, 1926 floating steam crane, built in Scotland for the Lyttelton Harbour Board
Ted Ashby, 1993 reproduction of ketch-rigged scow typical, late 19th century northern NZ. Ted Ashby has public sailings every day except Monday.

All except Rapaki can be hired from the museums for sailing excursions or functions. Rapaki can be entered and explored during normal museum visits. Some personnel from the Royal New Zealand Navy are also at times seconded to the museum to assist with maintenance of the ships and exhibition objects.^[2]

Extension

A NZ$ 8 million extension to the northern end of the museum was built in the late 2000s, to house a permanent exhibition about Sir Peter Blake, including the original NZL 32 (Black Magic). The exhibition will be called Blue Water, Black Magic.^[3] This has since been opened.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Collections (from the Museum website, dynamic website links)
↑ Helping out at the New Zealand National Maritime Museum (from the Royal New Zealand Navy website. Retrieved 2007-12-06.)
↑ Trevett, Claire (2 December 2006). "Peter Blake remembered: Raising a glass to fallen sailing hero". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2011.

External links

New Zealand National Maritime Museum (museum homepage)
Interview with Rodney Wilson, Founding Director of the New Zealand National Maritime Museum, for the Cultural Icons project. Audio and Video

Coordinates: 36°50′30″S 174°45′48″E / 36.841705°S 174.763411°E / -36.841705; 174.763411