Immerse Yourself in Māori Culture at Auckland’s Art Gallery

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading visual arts experience, with a collection of more than 18,000 artworks spanning historic, modern and contemporary art. The Gallery plays a vital role in preserving and sharing the stories of Māori, New Zealand and international artists with visitors from around the world.  

The Gallery has been on the same land since its official opening in 1888, a site of significance to tangata whenua. Formed over 60,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption, Rangipuke (the hill of the sky) – now home to Te Reuroa (Albert Park) – was once inhabited by Waiohua, Ngāiwi, and later Te Taoū, ancestors to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. A pā (fortified village) named Te Horotiu (to fall swiftly) was located at the north-western end of the site. 

In 1840, Ngāti Whātua paramount chief Te Kawau allocated 3,000 acres of land for settlement, which now forms the central business district of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. 

By 1841, the area came under the legal title of the colonial government and in 1846, the site was transformed into an army barracks for the British Imperial Army. By 1881, all the barracks had been removed, and the area was transformed into the park we see today.  

The ecology and geography of this area have changed significantly over time. Two waterways originally flowed nearby and were used by local iwi: the stream Wai Horotiu (stream of Horotiu) runs underneath present-day Queen Street, and Wai Ariki (chiefly waters), a natural freshwater spring, is located under Waterloo Quadrant. In 1881, over 200 rare and exotic trees were planted in the park, some of which still stand today.  

The Gallery is committed to strengthening the stewardship of taonga Māori and celebrating toi Māori through permanent displays, commissioned works and community engagement – including its annual Matariki celebrations.  

Permanent commissions by the following Māori artists form part of the fabric of the Gallery’s building, linking it to its natural environment and connecting visitors with its art, heritage and place. 

• Arnold Manaaki Wilson (Ngāi Tūhoe, Tarāawhai/Te Arawa), Anthony Wilson (Ngāi Tūhoe): He Aha Te Wa – Moments in Time, 2010 
  The three columns symbolise Ranginui (sky father), Papatūānuku (earth mother) and Tāne Mahuta (forest god). The carvings represent ruru – native owls – which welcome visitors into the Gallery and act as kaitiaki (guardians). 

• Fred Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Tainui): Te Waka Toi o Tāmaki, 2011 
  Waka huia are treasure boxes. Fred Graham’s stone waka huia signifies the Gallery’s role as keeper of Auckland’s art treasures. The large puke or hill below the waka huia represents Rangipuke. 

• Lonnie Hutchinson (Ngāi Tahu/Kāi Tahu, Sāmoa, Scotland, England) Kia Ita, Tupu Te Maramatanga, Te Taumata, and Nau Ka Toro, Ka Toro 2011 
  The thresholds on each of the Gallery's four levels signal entry into the exhibition spaces and invite contemplation of the artworks on display. Based on traditional kōwhaiwhai and elements from nature, the patterns rise up through the building like branches, uniting the old with new.