Getting to Our Place
- Documentary
- Arts/Culture
- NZ History
This 70-minute documentary provides an eye-opening view into the crucible that forged Wellington's Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The museum opened in February 1998. The fly-on-the-wall doco reveals the challenges of developing a national museum melding history, art gallery and commercial attractions. As political, creative and monetary considerations collide, the result bears "many of the hallmarks of a thriller" (NZ Herald writer Peter Calder). Included are tense stoushes about funding, the Treaty of Waitangi exhibition, and Saatchi & Saatchi's logo ideas. This backgrounder adds further detail.

Official website for museum Te Papa Tongarewa
Summary of key topics and participants in this documentary, on co-director Anna Cottrell's website
Interview with co-director Gaylene Preston, The NZ Herald, July 1999
Images from this documentary, on co-director Gaylene Preston's website
Tributes to longtime Te Papa Chief Executive Cheryll Sotheran, The Big Idea, January 2018
Tributes to Te Papa Kaihautū (Māori co-leader) Cliff Whiting, Te Papa website, July 2017
Profile of Te Papa board Chairman Ron Trotter, Stuff, August 2010














