This gallery celebrates life in Taranaki from 1841 - when the first European settlers arrived in the region - to the present day.

Informative displays containing many fascinating objects, tell the dramatic stories of Taranaki's settlement of the last 150 years, and how major industries - including dairy farming, energy, and manufacturing - evolved.

Step into a real-life walk-through cow shed, and see how dairy farming developed from a simple owner-operated enterprise in the 1850s to the large amalgamated computerised farms of today. And you'll enjoy the extraordinary number of innovations and inventions Taranaki farmers have come up with over the years.

Taranaki is known as the Energy Province and in Taranaki Life you can trace the history of oil and gas exploration - from early wells dug at Moturoa in the 19th century, through to the latest oil and gas wells off the Taranaki coast.

You can also see how other industries have evolved in the region, including furniture, flax, farm equipment as well as more colourful ones such as beer, motorbikes and Swanndris.

Taranaki Life also looks at the military history of the region.

The stories of the Taranaki Wars are told in vivid detail, and you can see arms and uniforms used in the conflict. A section on soldiering details the enormous contribution soldiers from this region have made to wars overseas.

The diversity of Taranaki is also celebrated in this exhibition, with displays about the many different social and ethnic groups - including English, Swiss, Dutch and Polish - who have made this unique province their home.

Mount Taranaki/Egmont has played a central role in the history of the province, and in Taranaki Life.  Here you can find out about some of the mountain's more colourful personalities. These include the first woman to reach the summit, a mountaineering cat, and a hunter who made a fur cape from rats trapped on the mountain!

Taranaki Life also celebrates everyday life in the region.

Informative displays on a diverse range of topics, including education, fashion, entertainment and sport, show how ordinary people studied, dressed, worked, and amused themselves.

Find out what makes the locals tick, and get an insight into their friendly manner and unique sense of humour.

Supported by Port Taranaki