FRONT PORCH GALLERY
This gallery highlights stories and visual displays created by the Museum about local community topics. We also utilise this space to highlight amazing collection taonga objects, specific anniversary celebrations, community projects, arts, and more. To find out what we currently have on show check out our Facebook or call in to the Museum at 135 Roche Street, Te Awamutu. This space is always changing with new, vibrant and meaningful displays, so it’s always good to check up on what’s happening our Front Porch!
Te Hokioi Exhibit
SHOWING ON THE FRONT PORCH FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2023 – TE HOKIOI E RERE ATU NA!
Celebrate Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori Month with Huhu, your Tui & Tama Club mascot friend!
For the month of September we are excited to display information on one of our significant objects in the collection – Te Hokioi the Printing Press, in celebration of Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori month at the Te Awamutu Museum – Education & Research Centre.
The printing press Te Hokioi has an incredible story that spans over 200 years, a journey that took nearly 1800kms, crossing more than three seas and two oceans, and was used by Māori as a way to publish propaganda about the crown’s intention within Aotearoa New Zealand in te reo Māori before the Waikato Wars 1863!
It is a local story with connections to the Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef. Two Māori men took on an adventure that would ultimately undertake vocational training in the print industry and merge into European society. However the legacy of the printing press that was gifted to the two men, took on another perspective as it was welcomed into the heart of the Kīngitanga. The press quickly became a weapon utilised by Māori as a way to publish their opinions on how the crown was making headway into colonising the upper part of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The publication – Te Hokioi e Rere Atu Na (The Soaring War Bird) soon became an outlet for Māori to voice their opposition of crown forces making moves around the Waikato.
This small display focuses on the publication – who were the main players, what was it used for, and how it started a movement in Māori media to this day!
To celebrate this story for the month of September there will be creative activities involving – learn how to create a print using our specially hand-made printing press and how to design your own mono print!
On display from 1st – 3oth September 2023!
Family History Month
SHOWING IN THE GALLERY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2023 - FAMILY HISTORY MONTHCELEBRATE FAMILY HISTORY MONTH WITH RURU, YOUR TUI & TAMA CLUB MASCOT FRIEND! For the month of August we have activities, exhibitions and crafty arty workshops supporting whakawhanaungatanga...
Matariki 2023
SHOWING IN THE GALLERY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2023 - MATARIKIMatariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in the east midwinter and heralds in the start of Te Tau Hou, the Māori New Year! Iwi across Aotearoa understand and...
Rangiaowhia
Rangiaowhia, a small journey east of Te Awamutu, was a thriving and productive village, until 1864. From the 1830s Māori and invited European settlers worked collaboratively to develop this into one of the regions most important agricultural areas. One of the most...
New Zealand Land Wars
"E hoa! Ka whahwai tonu mātou, mō Ake, Ake Ake!" When called upon to surrender by the British Troops at Ō-rākau Pā in 1864, Rewi Maniapoto uttered those famous words translated into English - "Friend! We will fight on for ever and ever!" Ō-rākau Pā was sacked 2nd...
Te Wiki o Te Reo 2022
Nau Mai, Haere Mai ki te Whare Taonga o Te Awamutu! Join us for the month of September as we take this opportunity to celebrate, promote and encourage Te Reo Māori during Māori language week. On the Front Porch Gallery we have chosen amazing and unique taonga objects...
PUNCH
PUNCH: COMING HOME Promoted at the Regent Theatre around the screening of the film Punch and featuring Te Awamutu born writer, designer and director Dr. Welby Inges' preparatory sketches for the film. "The rough sketches in pencil, ink and coffee granules were made...
Ancestry Month August 2022
To support Ancestry Month August 2022, we're showing the Queen Victoria Lithograph - a portrait of The Royal Family Queen Victoria, Price Albert and their five children. 1846. The New Zealand Society of Genealogists Te Rangapū Kaihikohiko o Aotearoa observes Family...
Objects of Adornment
An amazing display of unique jewellery-type artefacts from the Museum collection. On show now for the month of July 2023!
Wooden Collectibles
Wooden Collectibles A digital and artefact display of an amazing variety of objects from the Museum collection made specifically from wood. What makes these objects interesting is their connection to the social history of a place and its people. Who make the object...
ANZAC 2022
How do you commemorate ANZAC? ANZAC is a special time of our calendar year when we remember those who fought in the World War II. Most recently, it is also a time to remember and reflect on all those who have lost their lives in wars New Zealand soldiers have...
Kaleidoscope of Colour 2022
A Trip to view the Van Gogh Live Exhibition This year the artists from Enrich+ traveled up to view this amazing exhibition. It was the inspiration of their 2022 exhibition on the Front Porch Gallery at Te Awamutu Museum. We're proud and honoured to collaborate with...
Rahapa Exhibit
Rangiaowhia, a small journey east of Te Awamutu, was a thriving and productive village, until 1864. From the 1830s Māori and invited European settlers worked collaboratively to develop this into one of the regions most important agricultural areas. One of the most...
Queen Victoria Lithograph
Portrait of The Royal Family Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their Five Children. Lithograph 1846 This lithograph is an exquisite exemplar of the reproduction of a portrait of the British imperial family. Franz Xavier Winterhalter, painter to the Royal Courts of...
Forged in Fire
Forged in Fire! An exhibition encompassing images and information about the inspiring process representing the collective passion for wood-fired pottery, bringing together artists and their skills to create, maintain and fire a unique anagram kiln located in...
Rahapa Te Hauata
Front Porch Exhibition for October 2021 This exhibition developed from a huge interest from whānau members and locals wanting to hear more about this amazing story and share it with our community. On the Front Porch we show...
Kia Kaha te Reo Māori
Celebrating Māori Language Month at the Museum! Nau mai, hoki mai ki te whare taonga o Te Awamutu. We have a month long exhibition celebrating te reo Māori for the month of September on the Front Porch Gallery. Ae, that's right! Come in and see some Museum collection...
Family History Month
Researching history can be an adventure! This exhibition highlighted the journey of some of our most significant taonga Māori, objects, and archives, accessioned into the Museum collection. Each of the frames highlights an amazing part of their story and timeline of...
Matariki Events 2021
Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou 2021! Happy Māori New Year 2021! Matariki is a special time to celebrate the rising of the star cluster that heralds in the Māori New Year. It's a time to create a foundation of positive growth and development. This year we had amazing activities...
ANZAC Commemoration 2021
We will remember them... This is a Museum created exhibition about how locals from Waipā commemorate ANZAC. It highlights how ANZAC came about, ANZAC memorials in the district, how we used to and how we commemorate ANZAC today. Showing on the Front Porch Gallery April...
Wishing Wall 2020-2021
Wishing Wall This interactive wall is a fun way for everyone to make a wish for Christmas 2020 or New Year 2021 for someone special or yourself. Choose a beautiful coloured butterfly, write or draw a picture of your wish and add it to the wall. This exhibition has...
Resilience Resistance Remembrance
"Resilience Resistance and Remembrance" is an internal exhibition developed for the Front Porch Gallery, scheduled to be shown twice a year once around April/March to commemorate the 1864 Waikato British Invasion of the Waikato within the district of Waipā, and for...
Waikato Wars commemorations Feb-Apr 2021
[aesop_image img="https://tamuseum.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rangiaowhia-Map-PH1499.jpg" panorama="off" imgwidth="80%" align="center" lightbox="on" captionsrc="custom" caption="Map of Rangiaowhia - Te Awamutu Museum Archives" captionposition="left"...
100 Years of Secondary Education in Te Awamutu
Celebrating 100 years of Secondary Education in Te Awamutu "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!" This exhibition is to celebrate the spirit of people who experienced their secondary education in Te Awamutu. A drop of students from the 1957-60 era instigated the...
Kaleidoscope of Colour
Supporting Autism Awareness Month The Te Awamutu Museum has been celebrating Autism Awareness Month by showcasing local Enrich+ artists art work on the Front Porch Gallery, since 2015. In 2016, the Museum decided to name future exhibitions ‘Kaleidoscope of Colour’ and...
Sacred Spaces – Karen Nicholson
Photographic Exhibition Local artist, designer and photographer Karen Nicholson shares her love of nature and the beauty by showcasing her latest photographic art. Each artwork combines photographic images of flowers, portraiture and design elements that can be hung...
Guess the Mystery Object?
Can you identify the weird and wacky objects from our collection?! This is an interactive exhibition where we ask you to look through a myriad of photographs of objects and write a descriptive label of what you might think it is and what function it was made for. Then...
Museum Education on Display
Education Exhibitions on the Front Porch Te Awamutu Museum has been taking a creative approach to heritage education and exhibitions over the last few months! One of our temporary spaces, the Front Porch, is designated to be a community space and we were starting to...
Chunuk Bair Commemoration
Te Awamutu RSA and Museum commemorate Chunuk Bair Saturday 8th August will mark 100 years since the ANZAC forces took the summit of Chunuk Bair as part of the Sari Bair offensive. Chunuk Bair was the highest point of the range and was the furthest point ever occupied...