In 1992 the Department of Justice commissioned four students from Wellington Polytechnic’s Contemporary Māori Design course to provide the designs for glass panelling on the entrances to various courtrooms in Wellington’s new High Court building. The other students were Anthony Pene, Eli Christiansen, and Sheree Pattison.

While Stephen Pene’s design originally framed the entrance doors to Courtrooms 5, 6, and 7, the entrance to Courtroom 6 has since been remodelled, and the panels removed, so that only the works at the entrances to courtrooms 5 & 7 remain.

A document about the commissions states that: “The symbols used are a flax plant pattern to indicate that the High Court has been built on the site of what was once a swamp. Near the top right-hand corner are symbols which represent a canoe and a sailing ship acknowledging both Māori and European settlement. Above the flax are the hills of Wellington.”

See also:

• Maribeth Coleman, ‘Flax, Stephen Pene’ (Wellington City Libraries Recollect