Tairāwhiti Museum is a 5-minute walk from the CBD, across Peel Street Bridge and through Kelvin Park. There is free parking on Stout Street.
Opening Hours
- Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm
- Sunday and Public Holidays 1:30pm – 4:00pm
- Closed – Easter Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Admission
- Adults $5 (12 years and under and Friends of the Museum free entry)
- Free entry every day for local residents!
Exhibit Cafe
- Monday – Friday 8.30am to 2.00pm, Saturday 9.30am – 12.30pm, closed Sundays.
- The Cafe will be closed from 24 – 27 December 2018 and 1-3 January 2019. It will be open regular hours on all other days over the holiday period.
What’s Happening at the Museum
Exhibitions
He Tirohanga ki Tai: Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery
Opening: 07/12/18 5:30 pm
He Tirohanga ki Tai: Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery is an art exhibition and public forum that addresses the historical fallacy of the European ‘discovery’ of Aotearoa New Zealand. As the title suggests, he tirohanga ki tai (a view from the shore), the exhibition provides an indigenous perspective looking out from our place in the... Read more »
Out of the Bedroom into the Lounge
Opening: 30/11/18 5:30 pm
New Zealand artist Jan Nigro (b. 1920, d. 2012) was born in Gisborne and attended Manutūkē School before moving to Napier 1930. This significant retrospective exhibition has been distilled from her life’s work held by the Jan Nigro Trust. The works illustrate a strong female contribution to the trajectory of contemporary New Zealand art history... Read more »
Posing, Not Posing
Opening: 26/11/18 10:00 am
Long before smartphones, selfie sticks and one-swipe filters, having your ‘perfect’ picture taken took practice, preparation and plenty of posing. Early cameras and photographic materials required the sitter to be still for many seconds. While this is often given as the reason for a lack of smiles, a more likely reason is that early portrait... Read more »
Ambitious Gisborne Women
Opening: 09/11/18 5:30 pm
Public talk by Jean Johnston: 19/09/18 5:30 pm
On 19 September 1893 New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.This exhibition tells the local story – demonstrating how well Gisborne women mobilised to go to the polls for the first time on 28 November 1893. The sheets of names of... Read more »
Te Moana Maritime Gallery
The Te Moana Maritime Gallery offers a glimpse into 1000 years of maritime myths, legends, stories and development of the Tairawhiti East Coast region. Also included in this gallery is the arrival of Captain James Cook, the development of Gisborne’s harbour, local shipwrecks, surfing in this region, the fishing industry and surf life saving.
The Star of Canada
Explore the two-storied wheel- house and captain’s cabin of the Star of Canada, a cargo steamer wrecked on rocks on the Gisborne foreshore on 23 June 1912. Built at Belfast in October 1909 by Messrs Workman Clark and Co, the Star of Canada was a twin screw general cargo steamer of 7,280 tons gross (12,000... Read more »
Events
Hawaiiki Hou exhibition opening
All welcome for the opening of Hawaiiki Hou – Toihoukura’s annual exhibition at Tairāwhiti Museum 2018 marks the 25th year of Toihoukura – School of Māori Arts and Design at the Eastern Institute of Technology, and consists of recent works by students and Toihoukura staff from this academic year. This exhibition also coincides with... Read more »
He Tirohanga ki Tai: Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery exhibition opening
He Tirohanga ki Tai: Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery is an art exhibition and public forum that addresses the historical fallacy of the European ‘discovery’ of Aotearoa New Zealand. As the title suggests, he tirohanga ki tai (a view from the shore), the exhibition provides an indigenous perspective looking out from our place in the... Read more »
Out of the Bedroom into the Lounge – Jan Nigro, exhibition opening
All welcome at the opening of Out of the Bedroom, into the Lounge by Jan Nigro
Ambitious Gisborne Women exhibition opening
All welcome at the museum for the opening of Ambitious Gisborne Women
Holiday art workshop: Atarau Moonlight
In this workshop you will design your own art work on a purerehua, a musical instrument named after a native moth. Workshops: 8 and 9th October, 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm Pre-booking and pre-payment at the museum is essential. Programmes cost $5 per child, suitable for ages 4 – 12 years. All children... Read more »
Holiday art workshop: Atarau Moonlight
In this workshop you will design your own art work on a purerehua, a musical instrument named after a native moth. Workshops: 8 and 9th October, 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm Pre-booking and pre-payment at the museum is essential. Programmes cost $5 per child, suitable for ages 4 – 12 years. All children... Read more »
Holiday art workshop: Atarau Moonlight
In this workshop you will design your own art work on a purerehua, a musical instrument named after a native moth. Workshops: 8 and 9th October, 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm Pre-booking and pre-payment at the museum is essential. Programmes cost $5 per child, suitable for ages 4 – 12 years. All children... Read more »
School holiday drop-in Discovery Zone
Open through the first week of the school holidays, the museum Discovery Zone, is a free, family drop-in play area with games and activities for the whole family. Entry is free and no booking is required. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
Ambitious Gisborne Women – public talk by Jean Johnston
125 years ago, on 19 September 1893, New Zealand women won the right to vote. When the new Electoral Act was signed into law, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant all women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The passage of the Act was the culmination of years... Read more »
The 80s Show flootalk with exhibition curator Karl Chitham
The 80s Show Floor Talk with Tauranga Art Gallery Director and exhibition curator Karl Chitham 5.30pm 5 September 2018 FREE entry for Friends of the Museum $5 for general public No need to book, pay on the day Supported by the Friends of Tairāwhiti Museum Karl Chitham (Ngāpuhi) is the Director and Curator of Tauranga... Read more »
