By 1870 Christchurch, like Wellington and Auckland, had a museum. However, it was not primarily a place to entertain huge numbers of visitors. The museum was largely established on the initiative of the provincial geologist Julius von Haast, who saw it as an institution of scientific research and education. This view of the interior of the museum in 1890 shows a large display of moa bones. The museum's extensive collection of such bones, mainly collected from a swamp at Glenmark in north Canterbury, was traded with overseas museums for other objects and curiosities.
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Alexander Turnbull Library
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PAColl-9484
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