Te Ūaka is the name gifted to Lyttelton Museum by Te Hapū o Ngati Wheke. In English it can refer to a landing place, a place of arrival, or a berthing or mooring place for a watercraft. And that makes perfect sense for Ōhinehou, the Lyttelton township nestled in Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour on Te Pataka o Rakaihautū/Banks Peninsula.

Te Ūaka acknowledges the migration of people to this place, starting in the 14th century with Waitaha, then Mamoe and, later, Kai Tahu, and moving through to the British colonial era and more recent arrivals. We will tell their stories of exploration - how and why these people came to be here.

Te Ūaka also means to become firm. And this is another thing we will celebrate in Lyttelton’s Museum. The objects, stories, ideas and attitudes that have been brought and shaped here over the centuries have woven together with this special place to create an independent and proud community. As the Ūaka provides shelter for waka, the Museum provides shelter for taonga and their stories.

Our Museum will acknowledge the achievements of the people of this harbour across many generations, and it will tackle some of the difficult stories that need to be told. Te Ūaka will explore Lyttelton’s past with the intent to inform Lyttelton’s future, and it will welcome today’s new arrivals with a unique insight into just what makes this port town so special.