Te Papa’s Predecessor:
I grew up in Wellington and have very fond memories of visiting “The Dominion Museum” (as I always knew it) as a child. I remember clearly my childhood fascination at the sheer volume and variety of new things to see and learn about that were contained within the museum building. But as a child I never really noticed nor thought about the building itself, nor have I thought very much about the Dominion Museum building since Te Papa itself was opened. So, I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself (and, if you are in the same boat as me, remind you also) of some of the key history associated with the Dominion Museum building.
The National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum building, completed in 1936, was for nearly 60 years the home of a significant number of New Zealand’s national treasures. The building occupies a premier and highly visible site on Mt Cook (Pukeahu) in Wellington.
As an earlier forerunner to the Dominion Museum, the Colonial Museum had been established in 1865 in a building behind Parliament in Thorndon. In 1907 it was renamed the Dominion Museum as an acknowledgement to New Zealand’s change of status to a Dominion. That building soon became too small for the collections and new accommodation was sought, with the added intention that the new building would house a National Art Gallery. In the 1920s it was decided that the Mount Cook site was to be the home of the new National Museum.
In 1924 the government set aside funds toward the construction of a new museum building, with the remaining amount to be met by public subscription. In 1928, after approaches from the Carillon Society, which had already cast bells for a memorial carillon, it was also decided to incorporate the National War Memorial at the Mount Cook site. The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (established in 1882 as the Fine Arts Academy) contributed its property and collections in return for permanent accommodation in the new building. This was achieved by the passing of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum Act 1930.
The new National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum and the National War Memorial were the most important public buildings to be constructed at this time, and a national architectural competition was held in 1929 to find a suitably impressive design. The competition was won by the Auckland architectural firm of Gummer and Ford.
The first structure to be built was the Carillon, which opened in 1932. In 1933 Fletcher Construction laid the foundations for the new museum building. Gummer and Ford’s design envisaged a monumental three-storey building built in a Stripped Classical style, an imposing structure constructed of reinforced concrete and partly faced with Putaruru stone. The roof was clad with copper sheathing and glass. A massive central portico supported by square fluted pillars dominated the main façade. Internally the building was organised around a central gallery known as the Maori Hall. To the east and west of the main gallery were further galleries for the museum, while the National Art Gallery was located on a floor above.
The National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum was opened on 1 August 1936 by Governor General Viscount Galway. In World War Two the building was closed to the public and used for defence purposes. During this time tunnels and air raid shelters were constructed underneath the grounds of the museum. It was not until 1949 that the building was re-opened to the public.
Renamed the National Museum in 1972, in the post war years the Museum’s collections again outgrew their accommodation. Temporary accommodation was sought at other sites including the nearby Mount Cook Police Station, which was occupied by the museum from 1967. The National Art Gallery was also concerned about the lack of suitable storage. The government established a Project Development Board and the decision was made to move the collections to a new purpose-built site.
In 1992 the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Act combined the National Museum and the National Art Gallery to form the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa). Another competition was held to design a new home for Te Papa to be located on Wellington’s waterfront. In 1996 the National Museum closed to the public and Te Papa opened its doors in February 1998.
The National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum building and its associated land was transferred to the Wellington Tenths Trust. The Tenths Trust, in association with Massey University, redeveloped the building to establish the Massey University Wellington Campus. This involved renovation of the great hall, alteration of a number of areas for teaching and seminars, construction and renovation of lecture theatres and provision of staff accommodation. This work was completed in 2001 and the Massey Wellington Campus opened that year. The Massey University Building – Tokomaru, as it is now called – is the home of the University’s College of Creative Arts. The building’s life as an exhibition space has continued over the years, notably including the Great War exhibition during the World War One centenary.
The general area adjacent to the “Dominion Museum” Building and the War Memorial Carillon has now been significantly developed and extended to incorporate the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park which was opened in 2015.
And now, just as the Dominion Museum first inspired fascination and wonder in me as a young child so many decades ago, today’s Te Papa building and its exhibits and activities continue to capture the imagination of children of all ages in new and ever changing ways. Whilst some of the specifics have changed over the years, the same principles continue to apply. It’s quite nice really.