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Story: Moa

Mock moa hunt

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Mock moa hunt

In the early 20th century, when this moa was reconstructed by Augustus Hamilton, moa were still thought to have a very upright neck. At the time Hamilton was registrar at the Otago Museum. He then placed the moa in the Dunedin Public Gardens and persuaded Peter Buck (left), Hēmi Papakura (middle) and Tūtere Wī Repa (right) to pose as if in a moa hunt. This famous image was reproduced at the 1906–7 Christchurch International Exhibition.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PAColl-1308

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Trevor H. Worthy, Moa – Appearance and breeding, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11378/mock-moa-hunt (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Trevor H. Worthy, published 1 March 2009.