Discover
The stories behind the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, and the work of our curators, scientists and staff.
Breaking the Ice: The First Year in Antarctica
Before the world had heard of Scott and Shackleton, another explorer hatched a plan to spend a year in Antarctica. He was Carsten Borchgrevink, and his team proved it was possible for humans to survive the Antarctic winter.
Dogs in Antarctica: Tales from the Pack
Meet the canine characters who helped Antarctic heroes like Scott and Shackleton explore the icy continent. From Kid the Courageous to Osman the Great, the dogs who pulled sledges and provided companionship on the great Antarctic expeditions all had tales of their own.
Blog Posts
Museum curators, scientists and technicians share stories from the Museum’s collections and their internationally-recognised research. Sign up here and we’ll regularly deliver a blog post to your inbox.
Introducing South Westland to the World: A Surveyor’s Artistic Record
Thu, 06 Jan 2022
As late as the 1860s, South Westland was terra incognita (unknown land) for most Pākehā New Zealanders.
Stories
Short stories from the collection and behind the scenes at the Museum. For easy access to our short stories, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our e newsletter.
An Un-egg-spected Find
Tue, 21 Dec 2021
Every now and then we find something in the collection that no one knew we had. During the egg collection inventory and rehousing we found that we have two eggs of the extinct Passenger Pigeon!
Roald Amundsen's Pocket Knife
Thu, 30 Sep 2021
Canterbury Museum cares for the knife Roald Amundsen used for cutting and erecting the pole on which the Norwegian flag was flown at the South Pole on 14 December 1911.
Watch: Standish and Preece, Christchurch Photographers
Fri, 20 Aug 2021
Watch a talk by curators Dr Jill Haley and Dan Stirland on New Zealand's longest-running photography studio, Standish and Preece.
