Western Bay Museum is in Katikati at the northern end of Tauranga Moana, and sits within the cultural landscape shaped by the three local hapū:

• Ngāi Tamawhariua

• Ngāti Te Wai

• Te Whānau ā Tauwhao.

These hapū, along with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua, provide the cultural foundation and authority for the Museum’s engagement in this region.