Highlights

Inspired by the fun and light-heartedness you see in the stores and hear from excited children, leading up to the big Easter Egg hunt, we have selected some items to highlight this time of year. Within our collection of items you can see bunnies, chicks, eggs and even chocolate with a focus on the symbols associated with modern day Easter but harking from the Pagan goddess Eostre, celebrating new life and fertility.

Festivals are often joyful events that can be celebrated by the community that centres on some aspect of culture, religion, music, food, wine or performance arts. It often marks a season like the spring floral festival, the blossom festival or the winter festival that celebrates snow and ice. A festival may have a social meaning such as an identity of place or a value or be used to elevate a city.

This selection shows some examples of festivals from the local historical Hamilton community that celebrates theatre and arts, food and wine, Maori performing arts and the music festival Sweetwaters that was held at Ngaaruawaahia in January 1980.

The selection of objects celebrates florals in various forms, shapes and uses.

To celebrate the upcoming Six Extinctions exhibition we are highlighting some fossil and extinction related items held in our collection, though from an Aotearoa New Zealand perspective.