Treasures of long ago
Rare manuscripts and other Maori treasures from the Sir George Grey Special Collections never publicly displayed before will be on show at the Central City Library from June.
The free four-month exhibition will be opened on June 12 by Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Auckland Library Heritage Trust patron Sir Jerry Mateparae.
Manatunga: Ko nga taonga waihohanga atu ki te arawhiti, the treasures left behind in this realm, showcases nationally significant Maori artefacts, handwritten manuscripts, letters including one from King Tawhiao, diaries, maps and photographs that record the events of 19th century Maori.
Many of these treasures were collected by Sir George himself.
He was twice Governor of New Zealand and gifted 14,000 items from his private collection and more than 3000 letters of his personal correspondence before he died in 1898.
Other items on display include the Tui and Titore sketches drawn in 1818, the earliest recorded handwritten paper works by Maori.
Manatunga runs from June 12 to October 20. It will celebrate Matariki – the Maori New Year and Maori Language Week with specially created programming.
There will also be an online version of the exhibition on the Auckland Libraries website from June 12.
The exhibition will be held at the Sir George Grey Special Collections, Level 2, Central City Library, 44-46 Lorne St.