Collections

Fearless birds and wild winds: The meaning behind RNZAF crests

Delve into the world of heraldry and discover the meanings behind some of our Air Force’s badges (crests) and their Te Reo mottoes. Read more in our latest blog!

A bridge too far? Remembering New Zealand airmen and the battle for Arnhem 80 years on

Discover more about one of the most daring and ambitious military operations in history, Codenamed Operation Market-Garden which took place in Holland.

‘A Valley of Hell’ – Ian Anstey in the Battle of France

New to the Collection

Discover some of the newest additions to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand collection.

Perfectly packed parachutes

The parachutes in our collection are getting some much needed attention. They multiply like Hydra heads—each time I catalogue one, two more appear amidst the boxes and bags!

War birds of a different feather

Join a researcher examining historical message carriers & spares for homing pigeons.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Perspectives On Collection Care

In this blog, our collections technicians explain the work that goes in to processing new collection items, from cataloguing to housing and storage.

Conflagration at ‘Cardboard Castle’: The Rongotai Exhibition building fire

75 years ago, the former RNZAF station Rongotai was the scene of one of Wellington’s largest fires. The uncannily glamorous facility that had started life as a tourist mecca, then morphed into a busy military station, ultimately became a hot spot of a much more unfortunate kind.

Metadata: ‘The Writing on the Back of Digital Photos’

Many of us have old family photos stored away in albums or boxes at home. Most of us could probably identify our relatives in them, even when they were young children. But how often do we not know much, if anything, about the context behind these photos: where were they taken? When? By whom?

Ohakea Beer Fest

These potent examples of pottery were donated by a self-described ‘regular’ at the Ohakea baggies’ (junior ranks) bar – read more!