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John Watt Beattie's south and western Pacific views

View photographs of South and Western Pacific life taken by J. W. Beattie in 1906. The original glass plate images are digitised for easy viewing.

Te Wai (Water)

Water is a defining feature of Auckland. Both wai māori (fresh) and wai tai (salty), it nourishes and refreshes us, and in return requires looking after. Without water, the huarahi (roads) would be even more congested and our tūpuna (ancestors) might never have arrived here.

Bookplates: Small works of art

Bookplates are used to indicate a book's owner. The artistic design of each bookplate typically provides clues to the owner's taste and individuality.

NZ troopship magazines from the First World War

Magazines were produced during the First World War by the troops onboard ships travelling to and from war. They provide unique insights into life on the troopships and can be viewed online.

Empire calling: First World War recruitment posters

At the start of WWI, recruitment posters were used to encourage people of the British Empire to volunteer for war service. As the war progressed, these posters evolved into more emotive communications.

A korao no New Zealand

A korao no New Zealand was the first book printed in te reo Māori. It was written by Thomas Kendall, who learned te reo from Tuai of Ngāre Raumati.

Sir John Logan Campbell in Egypt

Sir John Logan Campbell travelled to Egypt in 1849 on a two-and-a-half year Grand Tour. His extensive travel journal captures his impressions from a voyage on the Nile.

South Auckland real estate plans

View posters for South Auckland housing estate auctions during the early 1900s. These are from a collection donated by Miss Ivy Smytheman, a real estate agent's daughter.

Early 19th century Māori literacy

With the arrival of British missionaries, Māori quickly learned to read and write in order to learn about Christianity and European technology.

Rare books and conchology

Auckland Museum holds a fascinating collection of old, rare books on conchology. These books are as interesting for recording scientific developments and discoveries as they are for their illustrated plates.

NZ made: Early New Zealand cased photographs

Most families will have a cased photograph or two in a closet shoebox. These are instantly recognisable as 19th century photography, but how many were actually made in New Zealand?

Picturing Plants: John Buchanan's Botanical Notebook

A botanical notebook in Auckland Museum's manuscript collection shines a light on local science history and throws up the long shadow of the man who made it, botanist and Colonial Museum draughtsman John Buchanan, F.L.S. (1819-1898).

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