Titiro ki muri kia whakatika ā mua
Preserving the past to enlighten the future

  • Founder Lecture 2026: Catherine Hammond – A Thousand Words: Photographic Archives in Aotearoa

Artwork by Dame Janet Paul (1919-2004)

Dame Janet Paul was a painter, publisher, and art historian who played a significant role in New Zealand’s cultural life. After a notable career in publishing with her husband Blackwood Paul during the 1950s and 1960s, she worked as an art librarian at the Alexander Turnbull Library from 1971-1980. She was widely respected for her artwork and writing, and served as a mentor to many New Zealand artists, writers and poets.

Courtesy of Charlotte Paul.

Next Event

  • Jamie Jacobs: Looking backward and forward: Turnbull House enters its second century

    Join Jamie Jacobs from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga as he shares the story of Turnbull House and what’s ahead for this historic building.

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The Alexander Turnbull Library is a guardian of our heritage, a great research institution serving the general public and scholars in the fields of historical research, literary, cultural and genealogical studies. The Friends of the Turnbull Library promotes public interest in the Library’s collections and supports research and use of its collections.