Our Research

Dr Rosi Crane, Honorary Curator of History of Science at Tūhura Otago Museum, explores the Museum's early history through archival research, shedding light on the motivations behind early collectors and curators and on the Museum's role in the global network of natural history institutions.

Tūhura Otago Museum's collection includes what is believed to be the only ancient sculpture of Alexander the Great in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the rarer images of the king, it was the subject of research by University of Otago Emeritus Professor Robert Hannah.

Lieutenant Joseph Stenhouse, acting commander of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition vessel SY Aurora, sought the assistance of Tūhura Otago Museum in preserving various Antarctic faunal specimens frozen in the ship's hold when it reached Dunedin in 1916.

Tūhura Otago Museum's marine mammal collections showcase a diverse range of rare and significant species from the Otago coast, with ongoing research and collaboration focused on their biology and conservation.