Museum of Transport and Technology

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The Museum of Transport and Technology (MoTaT) is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand between a Speedway, the Auckland Zoo and Western Springs park.

Established on the site of a pump house, the steam pump which originally provided Auckland's water supply is kept in working order, together with a range of other early steam engines.

Exhibits include trains, trams, (a working tram line is retained between MoTaT and the Zoo), vintage traction engines, carriages, cars and trucks, particularly fire engines, electrical equipment, a gun turret from HMNZS Achilles, (which fought in the battle of the River Plate), a Space site including a Corporal rocket and the remains of a Gemini spacecraft, science exhibits, and a 'colonial village' of early shops and houses, including a fencible cottage and working blacksmith.

An aviation pavilion holds memorabilia of early aviators, including the engine, propellor and other remains of Richard Pearse's 2nd aircraft, (together with research supporting the claim that he made uncontrolled hops/flights prior to the Wright brothers), a replica of the craft which was flown and his 3rd aircraft, (an attempt at a VTOL tilt rotor craft, like the Osprey), relics from the Walsh brothers flights and school, Charles Kingsford-Smith's trans-tasman flight in the Southern Cross, Jean Batten's England - New Zealand flight, and later record breaking efforts, (her Percival Gull is at Auckland International Airport), and the Pan American Airways and Imperial Airways flying boats of the late 1930s.

Sir Keith Park

Named after Keith Park, the Battle of Britain and Battle of Malta hero, MoTaT's aviation museum is on a separate site, neighbouring the Waitemata harbour and Auckland Zoo. It contains memorials to Fleet Air Arm and Bomber Command pilots, a control tower, radar and other aviation related material, as well as workshops for work on other vehicles, but the main feature is the collection of New Zealand's civil and Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft;

Avro Lancaster 1940s bomber
Beech 17 1940s Kansan Photographic aircraft
CAC Ceres 1950s topdresser
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk 1940s fighter
De Havilland Fox Moth 1930s airliner
De Havilland Dragon Rapide 1930s airliner
De Havilland Tiger Moth 1930s trainer, & 1940s topdresser
De Havilland Mosquito(being restored in public) 1940s fighter bomber
De Havilland Vampire 1950s jet fighter
Douglas DC-3 1930s airliner
Fairey Swordfish (replica) 1930s torpedo bomber
Fiesler Fi-103 V-1 flying bomb
Flying Flea 1930s homebuilt
Grumman Avenger(being restored in public) 1940s torpedo bomber
Handley Page Hastings (Nose only) 1950s transport
Hawker Hurricane (replica) 1940s fighter
Lockheed Electra 1930s airliner
Lockheed Hudson 1940s patrol bomber
Lockheed Lodestar 1940s transport
Lockheed Ventura 1940s patrol bomber
Miles Gemini 1940s light twin
Miles Magister 1940s trainer
North American Harvard (being restored in public) 1940s trainer
Transavia Airtruck 1960s topdresser
Short Sunderland 1940s flying boat
Short Solent 1950s flying boat
Tui Sports 1930s homebuilt (replica?)
Westland Wasp 1960s helicopter

External links

[MoTaT - Museum of Transport and Technology]

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