The Auckland War Memorial Museum (sometimes called simply the Auckland Museum) is an important museum and war memorial. It is a bit like finding the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the Cenotaph in one building.  Its collections concentrate on on many aspects of New Zealand history including Maori culture, there is a museum web site here Auckland Museum.

I started on the top floor where there is an extensive exhibition covering the various wars in which New Zealand has been involved .  The following are some photographs from this area.

The War Memorial consists of a Hall of Memory together with a number of Stained Glass Panels and Wall Plaques, some examples of this area are shown in the following photographs.

Also on this floor are two aircraft, a Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero-sen 22 (with various related artefacts) and a Supermarine Spitfire Mark XVI.   In 1956 New Zealander Sir Keith Park, wartime commander of No 11 Fighter Group, arranged for it to be given to the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Another gallery is given over to life in Auckland at various times,

The middle floor is largely given over to Natural History (there are also ceramics and works of art), the following photographs are from this area.

The ground floor contains a number of galleries relating to Auckland, Maori Culture and to the Pacific Culture in general, there area number of canoes (including the massive large decorated war canoe or waka taua), statues etc.

Also in the Maori Court are a number of buildings, the next two photographs are of the Hotunui, a large carved meeting house of the Hauraki people.  The second photograph shows more interior detail.

Go to the Voyager Maritime Museum page

Go to top of page