Tangaroa
Te Kaupapa
Ara ko te pepeha e mau ana ki te matamoko o te Whare Taonga o Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa e ki nei - " E arataki an I matau mo te whakarautaki mahere paetae"
Te atua kaitiaki, kaiwhakaruruhau I te taiao o te moana kia ahei ai ki te whangai I nga hiahia o te ao mataora.
Te aho tapu e here ana I a tangaroa ki te ira tangata, ara ki te iwi heremana. Ko tenei te koha a Te Taua Moana ki te Toi Tapu o tenei pepeha matamoko.
Te korowai tapu o tangaroa. He whariki whakamaumahara ki te katoa mo tona tino rangatiratanga mai I muri, ki mua, mai I raro ki runga whanui.
Ma enei pepeha toi, te tohu mo te kaitakitanga o te ao mataora o te ao whanui.
The unique and instantly recognisable icon of the Navy Museum reflects our Museums credentials, personality and DNA. The icon represents Tangaroa, the mythical Maori guardian of the oceans and waterways, symbolises the role the Navy plays in all our lives as guardians of our oceans and honours the contribution the Navy makes to the security and prosperity of all New Zealanders. Tangaroa also represents the personal, human guardianship of the valuable treasures which are entrusted to the Museum for current and future generations.
Tangaroa has been represented using the traditional and intricate decorative knot work that sailors and mariners are renowned for. This provides a link between our strong Navy and Maori cultures and represents quite literally a series of individual objects joining together to create a larger story – a perfect analogy for our focus on the individual stories that make up our Navy’s history. The ‘hand-made’ aspect underscores the human involvement and focus of the Museum.
Together these symbols define our philosophical approach – To be guardians of our nation’s naval heritage and to commemorate the service and courage of New Zealand’s naval personnel.