The Rocks was also home to a diverse population. Maori sailors from New Zealand often made The Rocks their temporary home. Known for their seafaring skills, they worked on ships docked in Sydney Harbor, sharing their culture and traditions with the locals. The Green Stone – a pendant earring - that can be seen in the display was excavated on a site in Gloucester Street.

In Māori culture, tapu (sacred or restricted) is a fundamental spiritual concept that governs the sanctity and respect of people, objects, and places.

Tapu is deeply tied to mana (which can be translated as spiritual power or prestige) meaning serves to protect both individuals and the community by preserving balance and respect for the natural and spiritual worlds. Breaking tapu can have serious spiritual consequences, requiring rituals or actions to restore harmony.

Greenstone, or Pounamu in Maori, is a highly prized material in Māori culture, revered for its beauty and spiritual significance. Often crafted into tools, weapons, or ornamental pieces like hei-tiki pendants, pounamu is considered tapu.

It symbolises strength, connection, and heritage and is often passed down through generations as a taonga (treasure).

Pounamu is often gifted to mark significant life events or as a gesture of respect, reflecting the spiritual bond between the giver and recipient.

Before this Pounamu earring, was installed in The Rocks Discovery Museum the project team gathered with Maori and Indigenous Australian elders on the third floor of this building to have a cleansing ceremony to ensure no bad Tapu travelled with this stone and the respect given to the indigenous cultures and traditions were celebrated.