Public
lectures
in Aotearoa

time TBC

Field to Table: The Pukekohe Dehydration Factory

Heritage specialist Cara Francesco examines the Pukekohe Dehydration Factory, built during WWII to supply US Pacific forces, and its post-war fate.

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Ngā Kōrero Rererangi Aviation Conversations: Jean Batten

Susan Tolich, MOTAT Curator of Transport, explores aviation pioneer Jean Batten's remarkable journeys, aircraft choices, and technical innovations.

2:00pm

Grown in Point Chevalier

Point Chevalier Historical Society traces local food history from pre-1840 Māori settlements through early farms and historic shops before supermarkets.

5:30pm

Maths, medicine and motherhood: A journey through life in bioengineering

Alys Clark's inaugural lecture on how bioengineering can transform reproductive health and early-life care.

6:30pm

Ngā Kōrero Rererangi Aviation Conversations

A celebration of aviation pioneer Jean Batten's life, achievements, and legacy in New Zealand aviation history.

6:00pm

Monica Macansantos

Author Talks

Author Monica Macansantos discusses her writing journey and reads from her essay and story collections, with live saxophone by Julian Bucay.

10:30am

Offsite talk at Ellerslie Racecourse Grandstand with Bhaveeka Madagammana and Tane Pamatatau: A collaborative conversation with Waiatarua

Bhaveeka Madagammana and Tane Pamatatau explore how acknowledging Waiatarua's deep history—buried beneath the Ellerslie Racecourse Grandstand—might reshape how we conceive of and develop Tāmaki Makaurau.

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Heritage talk: When a dream set sail

Bill Deed recounts his dream to restore a sailing ship in Waiuku and the river's role in the town's history as New Zealand's second busiest inland port.

12:00pm

“Salty Blood and Tears”, Ocean Stories 2: Moananui Talanoa

Professor Albert Refiti leads a talanoa on names for Te Moana Nui a Kiwa and their cultural and historical significance across the Pacific region.

2:00pm

Poetry Reading: Colleen Coco Collins, Sinag Fernandez, Arihia Hall, Mahalia Salesa

Poetry readings by visiting artist Colleen Coco Collins and Tāmaki Makaurau poets exploring Indigenous relationships to land amid colonialism and capitalism.

5:00pm

2026 Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture and Sargeson Prize

The 23rd annual Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture honours New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson's life and literary legacy.

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Gohar Hone Tak: Poetry & Heritage

Launch of Ashar Hasan Ashar's autobiography with traditional mushaira poetry symposium celebrating Urdu literary heritage and migrant voices.

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Exploring Sacred Spaces - SGI Buddhist Centre

SGI New Zealand traces 50 years of Nichiren Buddhism history and the Ellerslie Culture Centre's role in Auckland's interfaith and community heritage.

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Food Histories: A Community Conversation

Community panel discussion exploring how recipes across generations carry stories of tradition, migration, resilience, and cultural identity in Tāmaki Makaurau.

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Onehunga Fencible & Historical Society Talk

Members of the Onehunga Fencible and Historical Society present an illustrated talk on Samuel and Matilda Furley, 19th-century shopowners and their cross-cultural trade practices.

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Reflections on Auckland's volcanic landscape

Heritage landscape architect Stephen Brown examines Auckland's volcanic landscape history, pā sites, and the ongoing fight to protect volcanic viewshafts and sightlines.

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Culinary adventures

Food writer Lauraine Jacobs MNZM explores Aotearoa's culinary heritage and how eating habits, producers, and recipes have shaped national identity.

5:30pm

Why Go? Thoughts and Reflections from the Learning from Venice Workshop

A talk reflecting on insights and lessons from the Learning from Venice Workshop, exploring curatorial and artistic perspectives.

5:30pm

Hamilton Public Lecture

Hamilton Public Lecture

A public lecture on planning for risk, resilience and adaptation in the face of extreme weather events.

6:30pm

Panel Discussion: Jesus and politics

Panel explores the relationship between Christian faith and political engagement, prompted by recent public statements on religion in politics.

10:00am

Crops that shaped the Rodney District

Lyn Wade explores fruit-growing as a defining industry in the Rodney District, tracing orchardists like the Morrisons and the crops that shaped the region.

12:00pm

Webinar: so your pet needs anaesthesia

Webinar answering questions about anaesthesia for pets.

12:00pm

Pīkau ki Tua: from ancestral baby carrying to an Indigenous philosophy of care​

Arianna Waller explores pīkau ki tua, tracing ancestral baby-carrying practices to a broader Indigenous philosophy of care and wellbeing.

4:10pm

Owen Woodhouse—an unlikely revolutionary?

Professor Jim McAloon examines Owen Woodhouse (1916–2014) and his unlikely revolutionary impact in Aotearoa New Zealand.

6:00pm

Ata Mai: Perceptions and Interpretations of Art and Response

Spoken word poet Dietrich Soakai performs work on Pasifika identity in response to Made in the Pacific exhibition, accompanied by musician Vai Punivai.

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Returning home: Writing the Filipino experience

Monica Macansantos discusses writing about Filipino identity, family, and cultural experience through her memoirs and essays.

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Ladies, A Talk: An Evening with Alexa Johnston

Author Alexa Johnston discusses the history of New Zealand home baking, kai, and iconic treats featured in her books 'Ladies, a Plate' and 'A Second Helping'.

5:30pm

Inaugural lecture by Professor Sue Cherrington

Professor Sue Cherrington's inaugural lecture as Professor of Early Childhood Education at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

6:00pm

AKL Book Launch: Meditations of a Landscape Architect by David Irwin

David Irwin launches Meditations of a Landscape Architect, a collection of essays and photographs spanning four decades of landscape design practice.

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Colombia–Aotearoa: Shared Heritage

Open gathering on immigration and shared heritage, where Colombian and Aotearoa communities share personal stories and cultural traditions.

1:00pm

A curator's introduction to Picasso: Designed by Paul Smith

Dr Sophie Matthiesson introduces Picasso's life, art, and influence through the lens of Paul Smith's design collaboration.

4:10pm

LALS PhD Flash Talks

The School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies hosts weekly seminars featuring a selection of visiting researchers as well as those from the...

9:00am

Picasso: Designed by Paul Smith — Members tour

Curator Dr Sophie Matthiesson leads a members-only tour of the Picasso and Paul Smith exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery.

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He Hākari Kōrero: A Feast of Stories

Cassius Makoare leads an immersive storytelling experience exploring Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei heritage through kai, whakapapa, and sensory engagement.

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Robyn Pearce

Author Talks

Robyn Pearce discusses her work blending pre-Civil War American history with a New Zealand time-travel narrative.

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The valley that fed a city

Jessie Munro traces how the Wairoa Valley's indigenous cultivation and colonial food trade shaped Clevedon and fed Auckland's growth.

1:00pm

Great Kiwi Brands

Phil Sai-Louie explores iconic New Zealand food and drink brands including Tip Top, Georgie Pie, Lemon & Paeroa, and Edmonds Baking Powder and their role in Aotearoa's cultural history.

2:00pm

From Earthy Cradle to Chip Pottle

Matt Elliott explores the Birkdale/Beach Haven area's history—from Māori food gathering to the region's renowned strawberry-growing industry and the invention of wooden punnets.

10:00am

Economic security challenges in Southeast Asia: What can New Zealand learn?

Prof. Natasha Hamilton-Hart examines economic security challenges in Southeast Asia and their implications for New Zealand policy.

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6th International Symposium on the 'Ocean in a High CO2 World'

International scientific symposium on ocean acidification and climate change, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

5:30pm

New Zealand’s Strategic (In)Security: Accelerating Digital Frontier, Defence Deficit, Eroding Home Front

Dr Reuben Steff examines New Zealand's strategic insecurity amid great power competition, digital transformation, defence deficits, and domestic resilience challenges.

12:00pm

Economies of ‘truth’: alien materialities and the construction of history in contemporary Peru

Dr Corinna Howland examines how theories of extraterrestrial origins and alien encounters shape historical narratives and material understandings in contemporary Peru.

5:10pm

New Zealand's Strategic (in)Security: Accelerating Digital Frontier, Defence Deficit, Eroding Home Front

Dr Reuben Steff argues New Zealand faces compounding strategic insecurity across digital technology, defence capability, and domestic resilience amid great power competition.

5:30pm

Copyright Law and Generative AI

Professor Mark A. Lemley (Stanford University) examines the intersection of copyright law and generative AI.

5:30pm

Rainbows in Space—Using Spectroscopy to Understand the Earth and Mars

Professor Randy Pollock explores how spectroscopy reveals the composition and properties of Earth and Mars in this inaugural lecture.

6:00pm

Love letters to the ‘burbs: Six architects and enthusiasts pitch parts of Auckland

Six architects, writers, and urban enthusiasts present passionate pitches for Auckland suburbs, each with 10 minutes and 10 slides.

2:00pm

Address by Diana Reaich

Diana Reaich, Associate Deputy Director-General of Trade and International Relations at the Ministry of Primary Industries, addresses the NZIIA.

2:00pm

Reshaping the Avon Ōtākaro

Heritage Highlights

Dave Little, CCC Manager of the Residential Red Zone, traces the history of Christchurch's eastern suburbs from the 2010/11 earthquakes through current ecological and flood resilience regeneration.

6:00pm

CHCH Book Launch: Meditations of a Landscape Architect

Launch of David Irwin's essay and photography collection on landscape architecture, drawing on four decades of design practice across Aotearoa.

6:00pm

Wavelengths of Discovery: from Laser-Ultrasound to Seismology

Elastic wave propagation reveals hidden physical properties of matter, from laser-ultrasound to seismic applications.

7:30pm

Address by Dr Beth Greener

Dr Beth Greener examines 'whole of society security' as a response to polycrises—complex emergencies where natural disasters, misinformation, and transnational crime intersect.

4:00pm

Anna Pavlova in New Zealand – A Centennial Celebration

Wellington dance writer Jennifer Shennan and Christchurch art historian Ian Lochhead examine Russian dancer Anna Pavlova's transformative 1926 New Zealand tour and its cultural impact.

2:00pm

Light Needs

Experimental documentary by Jesse McLean exploring intimate relationships between people and houseplants, preceded by Sophie Koko's animation short Peace Tree.

6:00pm

Jane Simpson

Author Talks

Dr Jane Simpson launches her fourth poetry collection, Imagined Scar, exploring lockdown, cancer diagnosis, history, science, and art.

4:00pm

Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium 2026

Faculty of Education symposium celebrating Professor Graham Nuthall's legacy and influential classroom research in Aotearoa New Zealand.

4:00pm

Energy Centre Seminar: The State of the Hydrogen Economy

Seminar examining the current state of the hydrogen economy, its barriers, and pathways to energy sovereignty.

5:30pm

Auckland Collectors’ Night Out – Presented by Objectspace & ECC

Guided evening visiting three Auckland collectors' homes with Objectspace director Kim Paton discussing art and craft collecting practices.

5:30pm

Healthy soil for healthy water

Lecture on soil's dual role in water contamination: as a source of pollutants and as a protective filter, covering pesticides, PFAS, and nanoparticles.

5:30pm

Inaugural Lecture by Professor Peter Ritchie

Genes to Genomes: A Journey from Drift to Adaptation This lecture traces a research journey through the rapidly changing field of evolutionary genetics....

6:00pm

Beyond Geopolitics: Emerging Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific

Joanne Ou, Representative of Taiwan to New Zealand, discusses emerging security challenges and geopolitical shifts affecting the Indo-Pacific region.

2:00pm

Those Days of Clear Blue Skies

Exhibition pairing 1936 artworks by Rita Angus, Louise Henderson, and Julia Scarvell with contemporary responses exploring art, ecology, and belonging in Aotearoa.

2:00pm

Artist talk with Ken Faber and Lolani Dalosa

Exhibiting artists Ken Faber and Lolani Dalosa share insights into their creative processes and works in conversation with curator Matthew Hanson.

5:00pm

Bergquist Fellow Lecture: Professor Colin Brauner

Professor Colin Brauner discusses fish adaptation to aquatic environments and contemporary environmental change.

10:00am

Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam

Twelve local poets compete in the sixth annual Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam, a high-energy performance event celebrating original work across all styles.

12:00pm

Your questions answered: understanding elections in New Zealand

Practical insights on New Zealand's electoral system and democratic engagement.

3:30pm

Frances Libeau & Steve Lovett with a lecture by Welby Ings

Artist Frances Libeau and Steve Lovett discuss her exhibition on the 1986 Homosexual Law Reform Act, followed by Professor Welby Ings on antigay rhetoric's human impact.

3:30pm

Artist talk with Frances Libeau & Steve Lovett

Artists Frances Libeau and Steve Lovett in conversation, followed by a lecture from Welby Ings.

5:30pm

It’s the little things that count: lessons in metabolism, academia and life

Professor Jennifer Miles-Chan delivers her Inaugural Lecture exploring lessons found at the intersection of metabolism, academia, and everyday life.

6:00pm

Arts Centre Chamber Series: The American Experimentalists

A concert celebrating giants of American experimentalist music from the twentieth century, featuring work by James Tenney, George Gershwin, Charles Ives, Christian Wolff and the New Zealand premiere of 'For Bunita Marcus' by Morton Feldman.

2:00pm

Stories behind the stories

Heritage Highlights

Celebrated local author Gavin Bishop will share the inspiration for his books.

5:30pm

Left Behind Is a Sales Technique

Julia Pahina and Eteroa Lafaele of Fibre Fale AI examine how fear and urgency are weaponised in AI adoption, and how leaders can make independent decisions.

5:30pm

Michael Volkerling Memorial Lecture 2026

Artificial Intelligence, Memory and Culture: crossroads and cul-de-sacsProfessor Areti Galani, Newcastle University, UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are already embedded in the communication.

6:00pm

The science behind the 2026 Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics

Three Victoria University researchers explore the science behind the 2026 Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics.

2:00pm

Address by Paul Conway

Paul Conway, Chief Economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, addresses economic topics at the NZIIA.

5:00pm

Understanding and resisting Data centers: lessons from Spain

Examination of data centre expansion and its environmental and social impacts, drawing on Spanish activism and Aotearoa New Zealand contexts.

6:00pm

What writing do we need? New Commissions Writers publication launch

Panel discussion launching five new texts of cultural criticism with writers Anoushka Coutler, Rahul Hendriksen, Ruby Macomber, Kieran Mclean, and Roro.

9:00am

Counting What Counts: Comparative Conversations on Intellectual Property

Intellectual property academics, practitioners and policy professionals explore the quantitative dimensions shaping IP law and policy.

6:00pm

Deep Dive: Lecture by Kaiāwhina Whakaaturanga Assistant Curator Matthew Hanson

Assistant Curator Matthew Hanson explores the ideas and artists behind the exhibition Group Admits Mistake.

5:30pm

Question time: Lecture by Hamza Walker

International curator Hamza Walker examines monuments and historical narratives in this concluding lecture for Artspace Aotearoa's 2026 programme.

2:00pm

On ecological innovation

Artists and academics explore how creative and scientific practices foster meaningful environmental encounters through ecological innovation.

2:00pm

On ecological innovation: a panel discussion

Artists and academics Xin Cheng, Mark Harvey, and Samantha Ladewig discuss ecological innovation in an interdisciplinary panel at Gus Fisher Gallery.

5:30pm

S.T. Lecture in Antarctic Studies 2026

Associate Professor Cassandra Brooks presents the annual S.T. Lee Lecture in Antarctic Studies.

5:45pm

Taxation & Deglobalisation

Professor Reuven Avi-Yonah explores taxation and deglobalisation in this Faculty of Law Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series lecture.