Discover
The stories behind the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, and the work of our curators, scientists and staff.
Online Exhibitions
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.
Canterbury and World War One: Lives Lost, Lives Changed
Explore the stories of Cantabrians who fought in World War One and those who stayed behind. Stories, historic photographs and images of notable objects relate the experiences of Cantabrians during the War. 18,000 New Zealand lives were lost during World War One and the lives of those who survived were changed forever by the conflict.
This online exhibition is representative of Canterbury and World War One: Lives Lost Lives Changed, a temporary exhibition at Canterbury Museum from 30 November 2017 to 11 November 2018.
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.
Capturing Early Christchurch
Fri, 12 Apr 2019
Dr Alfred Charles Barker's 1860 panorama of Christchurch stitches together 18 photographs taken over five mornings. It's a valuable record of the then-nascent city.
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.
Watch: Adjustable Marriages: Relationships, Divorce and Bigamy on the Goldfields
Tue, 09 Apr 2019
The goldfields of Australia and New Zealand provided a chance for people to reinvent themselves, an opportunity that many women used to escape undesirable legal and social restrictions. In this talk, Julia Bradshaw, Canterbury Senior Curator Human History, explores how women on the goldfields navigated laws and customs that didn’t suit them.
The Native Beetle that Squeaks when Scared
Mon, 25 Mar 2019
A close relative of the huhu beetle, New Zealand's squeaking longhorn beetle – which really does squeak – is found nowhere else in the world.
Gabriel Alston’s Coat of Many Colours – “You Can Knit a Rainbow Too”
Mon, 25 Mar 2019
This vibrant coat was made by one of Christchurch's most colourful characters, former Playschool host Gabriel Alston.
