Auckland Council Libraries: Lupe I Vao Ese
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Lupe I Vao Ese

Exhibition: 17 September 2025 – 7 March 2026
Central City Library

Text image says An exhibition by Auckland Council Libraries Lupe I Vao Ese

Experience a new Pacific heritage exhibition at Auckland’s Central City Library!

The phrase "Lupe I Vao Ese" is a poetic metaphor from Gagana Sāmoa, translating as "doves in different pastures". It expresses how measina – the cultural treasures of Moana Oceania – travel across time and place, carrying the voices of ancestors into the present and beyond.

What you’ll see     

The exhibition features rare and evocative items from across the Pacific, drawn from Auckland Libraries’ Heritage Collections and items on loan from Pasifika specialists. Discover printed material, artwork and soundscapes that celebrate the enduring presence of measina in Aotearoa, including:

  • Etchings from Cook’s Pacific expeditions (18th–19th century)
  • Pacific ephemera, rare books, newspapers, and albums
  • Music from the 20th and 21st centuries
  • Photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries
  • Digitised 1991 VHS recordings of the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival (now Polyfest)
  • Measina from across the Pacific, loaned from Pasifika specialists
  • Preview display in the Atrium and a related Noken showcase on Level 1

Visit the exhibition

Come along to the Gallery to browse the collection at your own pace. No booking required.


  • Monday to Friday, 10am – 6pm
  • Saturday, 10am – 5pm
  • Closed Sundays and public holidays

Parking and public transport

Central City Library has three Mobility parking spaces on Rutland Street right next to the library building. 

For more information about parking and public transport, we recommend the Auckland Transport website. Go to AT's Auckland Central parking page  or use the Journey Planner  to find a bus or train route.


Events and programmes

Tāmaki Untold: Measina at home with Edith Amituanai

Saturday 20 September, 2–3pm
Whare Wānanga, Level 2, Central City Library 

Experience the photo-documentary that inspired the vision for the Lupe I Vao Ese exhibition, presented by artist Edith Amituanai. Her inspiring work explores everyday beauty and belonging in Pasifika family life. 


LIVE at Play: Celebrating Heritage Festival

Explore measina in new contexts through outdoor visuals and hands-on workshops. Supported by the City Centre Targeted Rate.

Things to see

  • Artboard display | Eastern Viaduct, Wynyard Quarter
    Monday 4 August – Monday 29 September
  • Lightboxes | Te Komititanga and Darby Street
    Wednesday 17 September – Thursday 2 October 

Things to do

Create your own work inspired by Auckland Libraries’ Pasifika Heritage Collections.
All workshops take place at Ellen Melville Centre. 


Music to journey with

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Pacific collections​​

Our libraries hold a selection of Pacific materials including heritage resources.

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Three people having a discussion.

More heritage events​​

Explore local heritage, family history and more at these library events.
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Ngako: The Collections Talk​​

Deep dive into taonga with the documentary film and podcast series.


Auckland Council Libraries:Lupe I Vao Ese See rare Pacific heritage treasures that bring ancestral voices into the present. Visit the exhibition at Central City Library until March 2026.