National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum (former)

A Category 1 historic place now occupied by Massey University once housed the Dominion Museum & National Art Gallery. Gummer and Ford's grand design in a stripped classical style won a national competition in 1929. The building was opened in 1936.
Now known as Tokomaru and owned by the Wellington Tenths Trust, the building after a meticulous restoration is part of Massey University. The project won an NZIA award for architects Tetrad, together with conservation architect Ian Bowman.
The Museum was for a time home for the Great War Exhibition, a project directed by Peter Jackson to mark the centenary of the war and illustrate New Zealand's significant participation. New Zealand lost 18,166 people in World War I. The project applied the skills of Wingnut films to tell the stories. In contrast with the common view we get of the conflict Peter Jackson chose to colour all the original black and white images. (later repeated in his successful documentary made with the BBC)
The Exhibition is now closed.

Heritage Image credit: 'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19370707-50-1 '