During its history, the house accommodated families with as many as 13 children, numerous visiting missionaries and other guests, including Charles Darwin who visited at Christmas 1835 when HMS Beagle spent 10 days in the Bay of Islands.
Read more |December 19, 2017
Pompallier Mission on the Russell waterfront was the perfect finale to the Friends Far North tour. Now surrounded by charming Edwardian-style gardens, the elegant French colonial two-storey building once stood in a tight enclave of mission buildings.
Read more |November 23, 2017
Victoria University students past and present should consider the art hanging on the walls of the university as being theirs to enjoy, inspire and educate. That was definitely the reaction of a group of about 30 members of Friends of Te Papa who recently visited the Rutherford House art collection under the guidance of Adam […]
Read more |November 14, 2017
Like the pattern of a Persian carpet Anna Williams wove stories of her life’s journey amidst tales of craft and culture to two intimate groups in her tiny studio off Tory Street. She paid homage to the unseen, unknown craftsmen. To us they are treasures, to grace our floors or walls. To the artisans in […]
Read more |September 14, 2017
The recent Seddon earthquakes, hastened the plans to earthquake strengthen this Category 1 heritage building and after almost 4 years of strengthening work it was officially reopened in April 2017. Father Barry Scannell gave us a detailed and fascinating account of this strengthening work.
Read more |September 5, 2017
The subject for the evening was Cartoons: Can they survive the digital age? The panel comprised cartoon historian and writer Ian F Grant, cartoonist Toby Morris, political columnist Jane Clifton, and was moderated by the doyen of TV interviewing, Ian Fraser.
Read more |August 28, 2017
Art became visceral and live in its depiction of rock ‘n’ roll’s energetic audibility. Elvis himself quickly became a favourite subject, artists playing with his masculinity and dandyism, or portraying him as a mythical, tragic figure. Jackson Pollock’s work can be seen as his response to the stimulus of rock ‘n’ roll.
Read more |August 7, 2017
‘Colonial Gothic to Māori Renaissance’ is a remarkable eulogy to Jonathan Mane-Wheoki from friends, colleagues, and former students and its contents are as varied and fascinating as the man himself.
Read more |August 7, 2017
The star attraction undoubtedly was the 1968 Colin McCahon, Helensville Series A, No. 1-4. Instantly recognisable as a McCahon with its monumental and pared down black and white imagery but intriguingly lacking the trademark lettering found on much of the later work. This was in fact his last
Read more |July 23, 2017
‘Rich and interesting’ was how Tony Mackle, art historian, described his research into Frances Hodgkins’ formative years, and ‘rich and interesting’ was his address to the Friends of Te Papa in early July.
Read more |July 17, 2017
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