Light Cycles by Moment Factory
11 May – 9 June 2024Wellington Botanic Garden
25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington
On a residential Wellington street in the historical suburb of Thorndon, you’ll find a wooden two-story house fringed by a well-kept garden. This is where writer Katherine Mansfield (1888 to 1923) was born and lived for the first five years of her life.
Mansfield wrote short stories, poetry, letters, journals, and reviews. Many of her works have been translated into more than 25 languages.
In the 100 years since the Mansfield family lived at the Tinakori Road address, the house was converted into flats. Its connection to the internationally famous author was all but forgotten. Established in 1986, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society began work to restore the house. They aimed to recreate how it would have looked when Mansfield’s family lived there.
Unable to render element
The society worked with an expert in the furniture and interiors of 19th-century New Zealand. The wallpaper in the hallway is a recreation of the original, made from fragments found in the 1980s renovation. The dining room is a vibrant hue of sky blue, reflecting the little-known Victorian-era appetite for colour. The house contains furniture made from rare native New Zealand timber, stained to look ebonised as was fashionable in Europe at the time.
Visitors to the house can step back in time to 19th-century Wellington. Take a self-guided tour to understand the function of each room, and learn about Katherine’s life. A permanent exhibition provides a timeline of her life. There’s also a reading corner to discover her work. The house has a changing exhibition space, showcasing artists from Wellington and beyond. Guided tours with the knowledgeable team can be booked in advance.
Katherine Mansfield began writing as a teenager and soon vowed to make it her career. After completing a couple of years of high school in London, she decided to make the Northern Hemisphere her home. She spent much of her time living and writing in England, Switzerland, and France. Mansfield died in 1923 at the age of 34 from tuberculosis. Her legacy of letters and modernist short stories lives on. It inspires writers, musicians, and artists and draws visitors from around the world to visit her birthplace in Wellington.
11 May – 9 June 2024Wellington Botanic Garden
Space Place is home to a digital full-dome planetarium, the historic Thomas Cooke telescope, and interactive galleries and exhibitions.
A short walk from the centre of the city lies Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. It is a place to reflect on New Zealand’s experience of war, military conflict, and peacekeeping, and how it shapes the national identity.
A contemporary art institution with a focus on craft and applied arts.
The cultural heart of Porirua City showcases the best in contemporary Māori and Pacific arts at this world-leading gallery.
Discover the largest private car collection in Australasia at this world-class museum on the Kāpiti Coast.
There are plenty of activities and things to see and do for kids of all ages. Explore an island, take a trip to space, or learn about history.
With rare forests, picnic spots and native wildlife, Ngā Manu nature reserve is a top spot to go for a day out on the Kāpiti Coast.
Telling the stories of how police have dealt with some of the country’s most infamous crimes, disasters, and other events.