Robert Jahnke (Ngāi Taharora, Te Whānau a Iritekura, and Te Whānau a Rakairoa) lives in Palmerston North where he heads the School of Māori Studies at Massey University.
Robert produces works with a political message and explores culture and history. He had been working on a series of Māori spinning tops or pōtaka and for this commission he included a pictorial history of Wellington. The upper side illustrates the political centre (the Beehive), the coming of Christianity (a church), the sea and seafood, the harbour taniwha (mythological creatures) and other representations.
The artwork makes whimsical reference to an old vehicle turntable previously on the site.