Chantal Knowles is a museum professional who has worked in the United Kingdom, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and developed permanent galleries at National Museums Scotland and the Queensland Museum. She is Head of Human History at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. Her research focuses on the role of objects and collections in narrative and sustaining knowledge. Chantal is an investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage and has recently participated in a research collaboration with Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery to reassess their founding collections. She is co-director of Te Aho Mutunga Kore – a textile and fibre centre at Auckland Museum launched January 2023. The centre prioritises Māori and Pacific access to collections to decentre the museum and fund projects led by and for communities, knowledge holders and makers.
