3 ladies crowd around Shackleton’s sledge

Ours: A podcast of twenty Te Papa objectsNā tātou: he kōnae ipurangi mō ngā taonga 20 ā Te Papa

From Jacinda Ardern’s encounter with the sled of her Antarctic hero, to a nine-year-old boy obsessed with the colossal squid, this new podcast series brings New Zealanders face to face with their favourite Te Papa objects.

Ours is a co-creation of RNZ, Te Papa, and media production company Bird of Paradise.

Te Hau ki Tūranga

Our last taonga is not just an object, but a sacred place, and an 'encyclopedia' of the history, traditions, and art and culture of the people of Rongowhakaata.

Lady Pippa Blake and NZL32 AKA Black Magic

‘She went like a rocket’. History curator Stephanie Gibson and Lady Pippa Blake discuss NZL32 AKA Black Magic and New Zealand's America's Cup win on 13 May 1995.

‘Isa Lei’ the much-loved Pacific song and its power to move

Ema Tavola explains why the song 'Isa Lei' resonated with her, sparking a feeling of nostalgia and connection with her Pacific heritage, and Pacific Curator Sean Mallon describes the poignant story behind it.

Two knitted dolls. Left: A woman with a red headband, wearing glasses, in a blue dress with white polkadots and a green cardigan. On the right: A woman in pink headband and dungarees with turquoise cardigan and yellow handbag

Listen: The Topp Twins and the dolls

These miniature works of knitted art hail from Invercargill, and might just be the ultimate Kiwiana tribute to two of New Zealand’s most popular characters – Camp Mother and Camp Leader, the creations of Lynda and Jools Topp – the Topp Twins.

Peter Snell’s shoes

Head of New Zealand and Pacific Cultures Bronwyn Labrum, and former principal of Tauranga Girls' College Pauline Cowens, talk about the shoes that Peter Snell wore when he won gold at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.

Xena’s costume

Ngila Dickson one of the makers of Xena's costume, and History Curator Claire Regnault, discuss the creation of Xena, how she changed New Zealand's film industry, and how she became an international feminist icon.

General Horatio Robley and the patu parāoa

Head of Matauranga Māori Puawai Cairns discusses the significance of a whalebone weapon – a patu parāoa.

Frances Parker’s Suffragette medal

Occasional demonstrator Leah McFall, and History Curator Claire Regnault, talk about how Frances Parker fought for women's suffrage in Britain and women's marches today.

William Strutt’s New Zealand Wars painting

William Strutt’s painting depiction of the New Zealand Wars is almost 160 years old, but amid claims of racism and propaganda, it’s been making recent headlines.

A preserved giant wētā in a jar with two worms coming out of it

Sir Richard Taylor and the wētā

The ‘ultimate monster’ that’s been on the scene since before dinosaurs. Sir Richard Taylor was so enamoured by the critter that he named his company after it.

Blue cap with the words 'Toby's Seafood' stitched in white

Elisapeta Fononga and the fish shop uniform

A fish shop worker's uniform seems an unlikely item to include in a museum collection, but that's only if you take it on face value.

Fossil Iguanodon Tooth sitting on old stained paper with some writing on it

One of the first fossils in the world to be recognised as dinosaur

This is where Jurassic Park began. Geologist Hamish Campbell and 16-year-old dinosaur fan Eric London talk about the very first fossil to be recognised as 'dinosaur'.

White painted text on black background "I am scared I stand up"

Anthony Byrt and Sarah Farrar on Colin McCahon’s ‘Scared’

Art curator Sarah Farrar and art critic Anthony Byrt talk about the meanings in Colin McCahon’s artwork ‘Scared’ and their emotional responses to the piece.

The colossal squid and its biggest fan

Nine-year-old colossal squid super-fan Sam, and fish expert Andrew Stewart, share some astounding facts about this bizarre creature.

Theresa Healey and the Play School toys

Play School host Theresa Healey and history curator Kirstie Ross discuss the toys that belonged to us all... Humpty, Jemima, Big Ted, Little Ted, and of course New Zealand's own Manu.

Mike Bush and John Minto’s Springbok Tour helmet

Mike Bush and History curator Stephanie Gibson tell the story of the scooter helmet worn by John Minto, the national organiser of Halt All Racist Tours (HART), during the Springbok rugby tour in 1981.

Kākāpō ejaculation helmet

Kākāpō fan Jeremy Wells knew that the species’ idiosyncratic sexual appetites were a threat to its survival, but hadn’t seen the ingenious solution known as the kākāpō ejaculation helmet.

Jonah Lomu PlayStation game

Jonah Lomu was a game changer on the field and in the world of popular culture. Pacific curator Sean Mallon and TV’s Julian Wilcox look at an example of his digital legacy.

PM Jacinda Adern sees Shackleton’s sled for the first time

Jacinda Ardern’s Antarctic hero

The Prime Minister encounters the sledge of her hero Ernest Shackleton, and talks about the life lessons she took from his extraordinary voyages.

Captain Cook’s silver ferns

Silver Ferns collected on Cook’s first voyage to New Zealand tell stories of science and exploration, and of the Māori concept of time. Historian Dame Anne Salmond and Botany Curator Leon Perrie bring their perspectives to these fragile symbols of Aotearoa.