We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Waiora Bailey-Moore to the position of Kaiwhakaako Māori. Waiora’s whakapapa includes Tupoho in Whanganui and Puketapu in Taranaki. Waiora has a special interest in te reo Māori, and in the arts.

This stunning maxi dress was made at home by Midge Channon, renowned for her stylish flair and love of sewing.

As plant pollinators, butterflies and moths play an important part in natural ecosystems. There are more than 150,000 named species of moths and butterflies globally.

This mid-1920s evening coat is typical of ‘flapper’ fashion, which rejected restrictive clothing layers and corseting.

The duplicator was a fantastic tool for photographers. This tool took advantage of long exposure times and allowed photographers to expose one half of the negative at a time.

Trouser suits became acceptable office wear for women in the 1970s, as long as they were formal and neat.

The owner of this beautiful dress was Harriet Woon, née Penfold. Born in 1837 in Surrey, England, she was the second eldest child of Harriet (née Mansell) and Stephen Penfold.

The clogs worn in the Netherlands or Northern Europe were wooden overshoes especially useful when working on farms.

After 159 years of being away from home Te Koanga o Rehua now stands tall at the Whanganui Regional Museum.

Mary Green Williams made and wore this evening gown in the early 1930s.

In the early 1900s, the Christies were among the leading families of the Whanganui social scene.

Patricia Forsyth’s dancing ensemble was made for social events on board the passenger liner RMS Rangitiki.