About us

Museums Aotearoa, Te Tari o Nga Whare Taonga o Te Motu, is New Zealand's independent peak professional organisation for museums and those who work in, or have an interest in, museums.

Museums Aotearoa strives to be the strong, objective, fully representative voice for the evolving museum community, and to promote a shared sense of professionalism, solidarity and identity.

Our mission is to raise the profile, strengthen the performance, and increase the value of museums and galleries to their stakeholders and the community.

Ko te whakaaro he whakapiki ake i te ahua o nga whare taonga me te whakapakari ano hoki i a ratau mahi. I tua atu i tena mo nga ropu tautoko ra te take me mau haere tonu mai te whakatairanga ake i nga painga o nga whare taonga nei.

Members include museums, public art galleries, historical societies, science centres, people who work within these institutions, and individuals connected or associated with arts, culture and heritage in New Zealand. Click here for the current list of member institutions.

Museums Aotearoa values:

people who work in the museums and galleries sector in New Zealand
partnerships established by the Treaty of Waitangi
engagement with communities in the care and management, research, and interpretation of their treasures and taonga
shared ideas and resources in collaborative projects inside the sector and with other partners
development of expertise, research and scholarship, including mātauranga Māori
exchange of knowledge enabling New Zealand museums and galleries to set a benchmark for exemplary professional museum practices and ethical principles

Museums Aotearoa is a registered charity, No: CC32927