Baby tuatara discovered at museum demolition site

In a surprise discovery, four baby tuatara have been found alive and well at the demolition site of Invercargill’s former museum. Invercargill’s resident tuatara were shifted from their museum home in February 2023 to make way for Invercargill City Council’s project to demolish and rebuild the museum, along with construction of a separate tuatara enclosure […]

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Farewell to Southland Museum and Art Gallery

The long-standing Southland Museum and Art Gallery was farewelled in a moving poroporoaki ceremony this week, as preparations for its demolition begin. Invercargill City Council is rebuilding the museum, which is set to open in late 2026 as Te Unua Museum of Southland. With the museum collection move complete and diggers set to roll in […]

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New Te Unua Museum of Southland Director welcomed to Invercargill

The new Museum Director for Invercargill’s Te Unua Museum of Southland has been officially welcomed to the city in a mihi whakatau. Te Unua Museum of Southland is part of Invercargill City Council’s Project 1225 development, which also includes the recently-completed Te Pātaka Taoka Southern Regional Collections Facility and a specialist tuatara enclosure within the […]

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Exciting times ahead for Project 1225

Work is ramping up on the ambitious project that will bring a new tuatara and storage facility, and museum, to the city. The Tisbury storage facility build is finished and the official opening will take place in February 2024. A wahi tapu has taken place to bless the collection before its transfer to the facility, […]

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