"Niho o te Taniwha" - the tooth of the Taniwha (mythical monster)

The main task of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery is to identify, preserve, interpret and present the historical and artistic taonga (treasures) of Southland for all people to enjoy in the present as well as the future.

We do this by maintaining an extensive and eclectic variety of exhibitions, covering many different topics. The semi-permanent galleries include: a Maori gallery; the Roaring 40's sub-Antarctic experience; Victorian-era rooms; and Southland's natural history and fossil record. Other galleries feature established and up-and-coming local artisans, as well as in-house and touring exhibitions.