These are our stories

The journey to bring Southland’s new museum to life is taking shape all around us

Step into the heart of our place in the world through Te Unua Museum of Southland, where rich storytelling meets immersive experiences to engage all of the senses.

More than a museum, Te Unua Museum of Southland will be a living, breathing space that celebrates memory, identity, and discovery.

Through thoughtfully-curated taoka and artefacts, cutting-edge experiences, and authentic narratives from our community, we will explore our shared past, present, and future.

Bringing Te Unua Museum of Southland to life

The development of Te Unua Museum of Southland is part of a wider project to celebrate and preserve our shared heritage. Along with a brand-new museum, the city of Invercargill is now also home to Te Pātaka Taoka Southern Regional Collections Facility (a storage facility at Tisbury, to house museum collection items appropriately when they are not on public display) and Te Moutere – Tuatara Island (a species-specific enclosure for the city’s resident tuatara population).

  • 2018

    Southland Museum and Art Gallery closes due to seismic risk

  • 2021

    Invercargill City Council commits funding for the redevelopment of the museum. A Museum Governance Group is appointed.

  • 2022

    Community consultation supports building a new museum

  • 2023

    Demolition of the former museum begins

  • 2024

    Te Pātaka Taoka Southern Regional Collections Facility is opened. Te Moutere - Tuatara Island, in the Queens Park animal reserve, is opened to the public. The first sod is turned at the site for Te Unua Museum of Southland.

  • 2026

    Construction of the building is set to be complete.

  • 2027

    Te Unua Museum of Southland will be officially opened to the public, following the interior fit-out of the museum.

Watch Southland’s new museum come to life