Quite apart from the work he did at Te Papa, Dr Seddon Bennington was someone who will be remembered by many Wellingtonians, both personally and professionally. I met him a couple of times through the Civic Trust, and was always impressed with his charm and intelligence.

His funeral will be at Rongomaraeroa (Te Papa’s marae) on Wednesday afternoon and his casket will be brought onto the marae on Tuesday 21st July at 4pm. Those wishing to pay their respects will be able to do so until 10pm that night. Dr Bennington will remain on the marae overnight until the conclusion of the funeral service on Wednesday, and there is also a memorial book to sign on Level 2 of Te Papa.