Whanganui Regional Museum

The Whanganui Regional Museum, adjacent to the Sarjeant Gallery on the hill above Queens Park, has an extensive and well-presented collection of natural and human history for the region. The Māori section is particularly strong, with taonga (treasures) spanning several centuries of Whanganui River iwi history, including the famous carved waka taua and remarkable 19th-century textiles.

The natural history galleries cover the geology, flora, and fauna of the Whanganui region. The museum also has a significant archive of early photographs of the river and its communities. Admission is by donation.

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A story
The museum holds one of the finest Māori collections in New Zealand, including a large war canoe (waka taua) that is among the most elaborately carved in the country. The canoe was made for the Whanganui River iwi and has never been used in battle; it was displayed at the New Zealand Exhibition in Wellington in 1906 before returning to Whanganui permanently.

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