The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa takes its name from the Maori phrase which literally means, ‘container of treasures’. As New Zealand’s national museum it houses objects relating to all aspects of the island’s history; cultural and natural, Maori and colonial. Amongst the diverse displays are a series of lithographs of ‘The Extinct Birds of New Zealand’, beautiful traditional Samoan textiles and Second World War public information posters. The museum also houses impressive collections of the twentieth century artists Eric Gill and Augustus John.