Our History

Hamilton City and the surrounding districts were developed on the traditional lands of several of Waikato Tainui hapuu.

Below the area where this building now stands there was a waka landing site that was called Te Korokoro.

This site got its name from a fresh water spring that was said to have curative powers. Waka were often beached at Te Korokoro to be repaired.

There were areas of flax that grew right up to the riverbank and there was a creek that ran directly below the Museum, which had on either side, steep valleys covered in koowhai.

Before human habitation there would have been a dense forest of kahikatea, tawa and matai along each side of the river.

The yellow koowhai lining the river bank were described by George Angus as a massive yellow and gold wall creating a river that was awash with yellow petals.

The area was renowned for its fertile soil which was perfect for growing food crops, with peaches and potatoes in abundance.

Immediately opposite the Museum site, there was a paa called Tetarahi which was owned by a sub-tribe of Ngati Wairere called Parekirangi. When British settlers arrived in the area they altered the defence features of the paa to build a redoubt.

By 1868 there were two Hamilton settlements, on the east and west sides of the river. Clustered around the ferry bank area and stretching up to the corner of Grantham and Victoria Streets the first Central Business District for Hamilton developed.

Helen Bell, a local benefactor and supporter of the arts, gifted a building to the Waikato Society of Arts in 1941 for use as a museum and art gallery.

The Waikato Society of Arts went on to establish the Waikato Art Gallery in 1948. It received a minute grant each year from the council to buy exhibition pieces.

Initially housed in cramped facilities in a small aging building at the junction of Grantham and Victoria Streets, it only had 100m2 of gallery space and shared this small area with a photographic group.

In 1965 the Waikato Museum was founded on the top floor of the Hamilton Public Library and had 1000m2 of space. Both of these venues were unsatisfactory.

In 1971 a joint report of museum and art gallery staff set out the  benefits of amalgamated the two facilities.

In 1972 Hamilton City Council determined the two facilities would merge to become one. In the meantime, the Waikato Art Museum moved to the 1400m2 space on the top floor of the PSIS Investment House on London Street.

A feasibility study was commissioned in 1978 to determine the most suitable location and development type for the new premises for the Waikato Art Museum.

In 1982 Hamilton City Council decided to proceed with the planning and construction of the new premises on the Grantham Street site.

The Waikato Art Museum opened in 1987 amalgamating the two formerly separate institutions: The Waikato Art Gallery and The Waikato Museum. 

During the strategic planning and re-branding phase for the new building, Waikato Art Museum then became Waikato Museum of Art and History, with the byline Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.

Waikato Museum of Art and History was renamed Waikato Museum in 2006. Following extensive renewals work in 2024 to bring the building up to industry standards, the name was updated to Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery.