On 31 January Te Tumu Herenga welcomed the books of late Professor Jonathan Ngarimu Mane-Wheoki CNZM to their new home in the General Library. Professor Mane-Wheoki (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kuri) was a renowned scholar, art historian and museum curator whose career took him from the University of Canterbury and Te Papa Tongarewa to Professor of Fine Arts and Head of Elam from 2009 to 2012. With wide-ranging interests that spanned British and colonial Victorian art and architecture, and New Zealand modernism, he is particularly celebrated for his study of contemporary Māori and Pacific art history and for bringing greater recognition and academic prominence to these fields.

Hikoi procession from Elam

A hikoi procession of faculty, students and whānau carried the books from Elam to the General Library. These taonga, which were written by or are about Professor Mane-Wheoki, were adorned with decorative leis created by doctoral student Olivia Blyth, who was one of Rangatira Mane-Wheoki’s mentees. The kōrero from the manuhiri was led by Kaiarataki Michael Steedman and Kaiarahi Geremy Hema. Te Tumu Herenga accepted guardianship of these taonga with waiata from the assembled group and kōrero from Rukuwai Jury and Rahere Te Waharoa. Paul Bushnell, Jonathan’s partner, closed the event with thanks for the recognition of Professor Mane-Wheoki’s abiding place in and significance for the University of Auckland.

View these taonga

• Visit the display, Level G, General Library, until the end of February.
• From March they will be available on Level 4, General Library, with the Fine Arts collection.
• Access the Special Collections Jonathan Mane-Wheoki papers.