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Coloured illustration of a black moth and words written on the top Pūrerehua (Kahukura) on a background of circular blue patterns
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School Publications

In this online exhibition, explore newly digitised School Publications artworks by celebrated New Zealand artists. You'll also find out about the history of School Publications and how we acquired the records related to them.

black and white photo of a road sign on the left, a car, a scooter and a person wearing a robot constume walking on the road
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He 80 tau o te Pokapū Kiriata ā-Motu. 80 years of the National Film Unit

Over six decades in the mid-twentieth century, the National Film Unit (NFU) made thousands of films about life in Aotearoa New Zealand. Discover the NFU’s work and history in our online exhibition.

2 women shaking hands while 2 men stand next to them.
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Navigating over 100 years of foreign policy history

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released a guide about how to navigate historical records held here at Archives New Zealand. Find out more about this collection of records and how the guide came to be.

Woman in mustard t-shirt and red jacket holding a sheet of paper with other documents in front of her.
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Women in the archives — early voices tell poignant stories

Principal advisor Stefanie Lash reflects on how ordinary women appear — and don’t appear — in the government record.

3 people in costume mid performance.
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Ngā taonga whakamīharo — he kōrero mō nga pūkete āniwaniwa Wonderous treasures — a conversation about rainbow records

Listen to an interview with PrideNZ and learn more about archives related to rainbow communities in our holdings. We’ll also share highlights from digitised records discussed in the interview.

Top view photo of a snow clad mountain and a floatplane flying in the sky

Utaina unearths unique national park records

Find out more about how the Utaina project team is rediscovering the records in our holdings. We’ll share some unique items from the archives, as well as the fascinating stories behind them.

Architect's drawings of a house with black outlines and filled with yellow and orange colour.
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UNESCO recognises Canterbury Provincial Government Archives

The Canterbury Provincial Government Archives have been inscribed on the Aotearoa New Zealand Register of the Memory of the World. Learn more about the significance of these unique records and view recently digitised items online.

Craggy green mountains and a blue and orange sky dotted with clouds are reflected in water. A person is standing near the edge of the water.
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Te kawe i ngā pūranga ki te iwi mā te whakamatihiko  Taking archives to the people with digitisation

Digitisation is an important part of our work at Archives New Zealand. Learn more about what our digitisation project team, Te Maeatanga, has achieved over the past 2 years and what records you can now access online.

Thumb prints of left and right thumb on an old yellowed paper
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The mixed blessing of a fingerprint

Find out how our digitisation programme, Te Maeatanga, is connecting Chinese New Zealanders with their ancestors by digitally imaging the poll tax certificates that are a record of their entry into Aotearoa New Zealand.

Pencil sketches of kiwi bird and kowhai flower in circles drawn on an old yellowed paper

The original art behind Aotearoa’s coins

In 1967, New Zealand replaced pounds, shillings and pence with dollars and cents. Discover the story behind the new coin designs as we share some of the original artwork for the first time.

Colourful image
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LGBTQIA+ illuminated

A collection of stories in the archives that touch on lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand.

two hands with white gloves holding a black and white photo with edges on a dark blue background

Let’s work hand in glove

Conservator Anna Whitehead explains why it’s important to wear gloves if you’re handling sensitive archives, and when it’s acceptable to have clean, dry hands instead.

A woman with brown hair, wearing a black jacket is standing in front of a computer monitor displaying a black and white photo

Digitising in the cool store

Archivist Chrissy Knight on how we met an urgent request to digitise historic photographs for the Prime Minister's visit to Sāmoa..

A piece of paper with pieces missing at the centre sits on an illuminated table. Next to the paper is a pair of tweezers and a pot of paste.h a brush inside it.

Conserving delicate Sāmoan land records

Conservator Anna Whitehead on the challenge of treating century-old records affected by the Pacific region’s high humidity.

A group of performers gather around a guitar.

Rotuman records in our holdings

Discover records about Rotuma and the Rotuman culture in Aotearoa – and help us learn more about the story they tell.

An old map with yellowed paper with words Map of Samoa and Pacific ocean written on it

The rise of the Mau and the fall of colonial rule in Sāmoa

The Mau movement for Sāmoan independence in the archives.

A hand holding a phone with a map on a brown blurred background
Long Story

From atoms to pixels – digitising very large format archives

Learn why we're digitising the biggest items in our holdings – and watch our video to discover how we do it.

Pages from the Treaty of Waitangi
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Te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi

Te Tiriti o Waitangi — known in English as the Treaty of Waitangi — is an agreement between tangata whenua and the British Crown. Discover the story of te Tiriti, from how it happened to where it is today.

Text written on an old grey paper with a heading and the first letter of each sentence written in a calligraphic style.
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Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wāhine The Women's Suffrage Petition

In 1893 Aotearoa New Zealand became the first country in the world in which all women gained the right to vote in general elections — thanks to the women who created, organised and signed the Women’s Suffrage Petition.

An oil painting of a war scene. Two soldiers walk through rubble. One is injured and assisted by the other.
Photo Story

Ngā Toi a Tū War art

Discover the National Collection of War Art

Photo of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni - the New Zealand declaration of independence
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He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand

He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – known in English as the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand – is a constitutional document of historical and cultural significance

Advertisements for diamonds in a 1945 Clements and Holmes catalogue
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Capturing creativity in the Copyright Applications

A look at some of the unique material contained in Copyright Applications between 1886-1963

Book cover of the Register of the Lands and Titles Commission, 1903-1921
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Historic Sāmoan land information now available online

Accessing important archives about the historic ownership of land in Sāmoa has never been easier, thanks to the work undertaken by our digitisation team

Coupon from Gay Task Force urging people who had signed the petition against homosexual law reform to remove their name
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Homosexual Law Reform through the archives

Explore the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill 35 years on through the archives

Black map of Christchurch dated 1850
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Resilient archives, resilient communities

Christchurch Regional Archivist Joanna Condon looks at how archives can support communities in being resilient in the face of natural disasters

A portrait of Captain W. H. Stainton with his arms folded, wearing his uniform.
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First World War medal recipient photographs

Take a look at some of the photos of First World War gallantry medal winners

Rows of houses sit on a hillside. In the foreground there are parked cars and people walking on the footpath.
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Housing in New Zealand

A look at some of the different homes and houses in New Zealand through the archives

A portrait of Alexander Mee in his uniform.
Long Story

Alexander Mee

Discover the life of Private Alexander Mee through his WW1 service and probate files

A painting of a war scene. A group of vehicles are on dusty terrain. Some are engulfed in flames.
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The Breakout at Minqar Qaim

Read about the breakout at Minqar Qaim that occurred in North Africa during the Second World War

A framed painting of 4 soldiers taking a break and preparing a beverage.
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The National Collection of War Art: Seismic hanging system

Read more about the project to replace the hanging system used for the National Collection of War Art

A message that was sent in a bottle. The paper is stained and coming apart at the fold lines.
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Sending out an SOS

Ever wondered what happens when a message in a bottle is found? A file held at our Wellington archive shows how these messages were investigated by the Marine Department in the first half of the twentieth century

An inhalation station featuring cone shaped contraptions with various jars attached to them.
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The 1918 Influenza Outbreak in New Zealand

COVID-19 has caused interest in New Zealand's worst disease outbreak, the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. Read more about how that epidemic impacted a rural community in the Bay of Plenty

The Royal Coat of Arms on a Commemorative Scroll
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Unclaimed Anzac Scrolls now available online

Ninety-seven unclaimed Commemorative Scrolls from World War II (1939 – 1945) and the Korean War (1950 – 1953) are now available online

An oil painting of Major General Sir Bernard Freyberg. He is holding binoculars and looking out into the distance.
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War art at home

In 1981, we began gathering the National Collection of War Art to Archives NZ from art institutions around the country. Now the full variety of these 1500+ works can be viewed in our digital collection.

A page of text from the project document for National Coming Out Day.
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Pride in the archives

In recognition of Pride events and celebrations wrapping up around the country, we'd like to highlight a selection of LGBTQIA+ records we hold that show the diversity of archives available to the public.

Black and white circular seal with words 'The native land court of New Zealand'.
Photo Story

Voices of our ancestors Kā puna kōrero o Kāi Tahu

Along with representatives of Ngāi Tahu communities in Canterbury and Westland, our Christchurch staff have identified, digitised and made available online significant local public archives documenting transactions between Ngāi Tahu and the Government.

Passport photo of Clifford Glen Porter
Photo Story

The Invincibles: Passport applications

Passport photos and application forms for the 1924/25 All Blacks squad "The Invincibles"

A statue of an angel sits atop a memorial
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The Wreck of the SS Penguin

On February 12, 1909, the steam ship “Penguin” departed Picton for Wellington in favourable conditions, carrying over 100 passengers and crew. By the end of the night over two thirds of those on board had lost their lives

Calligraphic writings in English, on an old yellowed paper and four black and white photos in each corner
Photo Story

Richard Seddon's Christmas cards

A selection of Christmas cards from Richard Seddon’s collection.

Seven people smiling for a photo and one person sitting holding a camera with a painted bark cloth on the wall behind
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Japanese star visits the archives

The Rugby World Cup kicks off in Japan this month and Archives New Zealand has received several requests for film footage relating to rugby. Back in March Japanese tv station NHK paid us a visit to do some onsite filming with Japanese actor Gaku Hamada

An aerial photo showing the construction of Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Photo Story

Auckland Harbour Bridge

A selection of images surrounding the construction of Auckland Harbour Bridge

Three slightly torn and yellowed papers with writing in dark brown on a black background
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Who were the rangatira who signed He Whakaputanga?

He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni - known in English as the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand – signalled the emergence of Māori authority on the world stage

Passport photo of Carmen Rupe attached to application file.
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Carmen's new passport

Carmen Rupe, or simply ‘Carmen’ was a New Zealand-Australian drag performer, brothel keeper, activist, political candidate, and HIV/AIDS activist

A section of preliminary plans for an Auckland underground station, showing a cross section of the platform and train.
Photo Story

Auckland Underground

The need for improved Auckland public transport occupied civic minds for decades. Various reports and plans produced from the 1920s to the 1970s include photographs of buildings potentially threatened by the construction of underground rail lines

A yellowed map of a mine with the title 'Plan of Lower Section of New Hauraki Gold Properties'
Photo Story

Goldmining in the Coromandel

A collection of records that illustrate goldmining on the Coromandel peninsula showing what it was like to live and work in the goldfields

Portrait of Chow Wye se
Photo Story

Chinese portraits

A small selection of photographs from the Certificates of Registration issued by the Dunedin Collector of Customs

A close up of compass points on an old map
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Colonial cartography

Highlighting some of the earliest survey maps of the Canterbury, Westland, Nelson and Marlborough Land Districts

Handwritten letter from 1898 on yellowing ruled paper
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He Tohu Rangatira - Māori Women & the 1893 Suffrage Petition

Stories of Māori Women who signed the 1893 suffrage petition

Seven yellowed old papers with faint writings on them, placed on a black background
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Ngā Tohu Wāhine me Te Tiriti o Waitangi Ngā Tohu Wāhine and Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Read about some of the wāhine who signed the Treaty of Waitangi and see their signatures in more detail.

A passage of text with the phrase '"Person" includes woman' highlighted
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The definition of a woman in 1893

The 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition states ‘that large numbers of Women in the Colony have for several years petitioned Parliament to extend franchise to them’. But how did they define ‘Women’? Who was included and excluded in this definition?

The He Tohu exhibition at National Library of New Zealand
Long Story

Conservation of the He Tohu documents

He Tohu and the conservation work that went into the display of our precious taonga

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