Māori taonga to be returned to Kaipara from Auckland Museum

A collection of Māori taonga, collected by Andrew Rintoul before 1913, will return from Auckland Museum to the Kaipara on 12 October to be housed at The Kauri Museum.

Te Uri o Hau and The Kauri Museum are working closely, alongside Auckland Museum, to ensure that when these taonga return home they are well cared for and can be preserved for generations to come.

Te Uri o Hau Kaumātua Hōne Martin says these taonga are incredibly significant to the Kaipara and it will be an auspicious day when they return home.

“When the Rintoul Collection comes home tangata whenua will begin to unravel the stories these precious taonga hold, with the support of the Kauri Museum,” he says.

Held at Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira since 1925, the Rintoul Collection was bequeathed to The Kauri Museum in 1968, however the collection of 162 items remained on loan at Auckland Museum until today.

Originally deposited at Auckland Museum by the Rintoul family in 1925, the collection was bequeathed to The Kauri Museum in 1968, however the taonga remained on loan to the Auckland Museum. Discussions between the two museums began in 2017, prompting plans for the taonga to be returned.

The Kauri Museum General Manager and Collection Manager Curator Dr Tracey Wedge says having this important collection back will enhance The Kauri Museum’s ability to tell the story of the region.

“We’re looking forward to unravelling the secrets these taonga hold. I’m sure tangata whenua will come from all over to see these precious artefacts of their ancestors,” she says.

Within the collection are several taonga that have been on display at Auckland Museum. They will be removed from display and safely transported north to Te Uri o Hau at Waihaua Marae on 12 October to be welcomed home and blessed.

The objects will then be transferred to the The Kauri Museum where they will they be on display for the remainder of the day. An exhibition will be mounted of the Rintoul Collection for the summer. Research on the taonga will also begin which will ultimately determine longer term display outcomes. Taonga not on display will be accessible in a new research centre.

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