The Māori elements of the name are explained as follows: Te Puna honours waipuna, the artesian spring beneath the gallery and Waiwhetu refers to one of the tributaries in the immediate vicinity, which flows into the River Avon.

The gallery's forecourt has a large sculpture, Reason for Voyaging,[7] which was the result of a collaboration between the sculptor Graham Bennett and the architect David Cole.

The gallery's foundation, a concrete raft slab that sits on the surface of the ground, evenly distributes earthquake forces.

[9] The gallery building was used as a Civil Defence headquarters for seven months after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and did not reopen until 19 December 2015 due to the need for extensive refurbishments and improvements.

[10] Although the Robert McDougall Art Gallery opened in 1932, the first paid director, William Baverstock, was appointed in 1960 (he had previously served as honorary curator from 1949).