![Image](http://i.imgur.com/xtrrfbb.png)
According to a contemporary description, as quoted on the Auckland War Memorial Museum website :
"The shield bears representations of a Maori canoe, under sail, a tuatara lizard, and a torch, symbolising science.
"The crest is the top of a nikau palm, rising from a mural crown, the fronds arranged after the fashion of a fleur-de-lys.
"The supporters are carved representations of manaia, mythical creatures, half man and half bird, often depicted on the barge-boards and door-lintels of Maori houses. The motto is "Whaowhia," meaning "full" or "well stored," an allusion to the many treasures in the new Auckland Museum.
"The design was prepared with the expert help of Mr. T.V. Gulliver."