Archives New Zealand

Archives New Zealand Aotearoa New Zealand's government archive. Read stories, find records or get research advice.
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Have you seen any large shadows lurking in the misty rainforests of Fiordland? Racoons weren’t the only introduced speci...
18/06/2026

Have you seen any large shadows lurking in the misty rainforests of Fiordland? Racoons weren’t the only introduced species on the loose in the back blocks of New Zealand. Moose were introduced to Fiordland in the 1910s to bolster big game hunting in the area.

A moose shot in the 1950s was thought to be the last — but the story didn’t end there.

In 1972, a Forest Service expedition found antlers, tracks, droppings and signs of browsing. Later sightings kept the legend alive. Fur found in 2002 was even DNA-tested and matched moose.

This hoofprint image (dated 1978) comes from a Department of Conservation file full of sightings and expedition reports.

Do you think moose still roam our largest national park?

New Zealand’s tourism history includes a surprising chapter — imported exotic and game animals. Department of Tourist an...
17/06/2026

New Zealand’s tourism history includes a surprising chapter — imported exotic and game animals.

Department of Tourist and Health Resort superintendent, Thomas Donne, aimed to make New Zealand “a sporting paradise” for hunters, but records show there were some unintended consequences.

In 1905 US President Teddy Roosevelt gifted the country 20 wapiti deer. Donne brought them here with other deer, geese, and five raccoons. The deer and geese are still here today — but what happened to the raccoons?

The ones that survived the journey were put on public display at Rotorua’s Sanitorium Grounds, but one night they escaped with the help of their neighbours in the aviary. "The enclosure at one side was occupied by Keas and was not floored ... the Keas worked and broke loose one side of the wire netting and two racoons got into the keas compartment and escaped by burrowing."

Despite a £5 reward, they were never seen again. News reports at the time blamed them for killing nearby chickens — but then they vanished.

You might not expect to find animals in our war-related archives, but among the military personnel files, unit diaries, ...
16/06/2026

You might not expect to find animals in our war-related archives, but among the military personnel files, unit diaries, maps and plans, we spotted this Christmas card featuring the Imperial Camel Corps in 1917.

During World War One, the New Zealand Army bought strong Bikaner camels from India to carry equipment. Later, they used single-humped Egyptian camels for riding to the scene of battle, when they would dismount for combat. Around 400-450 New Zealand soldiers, known as cameliers, served in a unit known as the Imperial Camel Corps.

🔗 Click on the link in the comments to explore more stories about animals in war in our Anzac stories resource.

Did you know three of New Zealand’s most important documents are on permanent display at the He Tohu exhibition in Te Ka...
16/06/2026

Did you know three of New Zealand’s most important documents are on permanent display at the He Tohu exhibition in Te Kahu heritage campus?

- 1835 He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – the Declaration of Independence

- 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi (nine paper/parchment sheets)

- 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition – Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine (the main surviving scroll with 25,500 signatures, which is regularly rotated)

Come see them at He Tohu, a permanent exhibition with Archives New Zealand and the National Library.

You can also view them online – https://natlib.govt.nz/he-tohu

Discover our nation’s memory and the taonga cared for at Te Kahu. Your story starts here.

Photos: Mark Beatty, National Library of New Zealand

Our repositories don't just hold human stories. This week we're going to talk about some of the animals in our archives....
15/06/2026

Our repositories don't just hold human stories. This week we're going to talk about some of the animals in our archives.

We're starting with one of our earliest inhabitants of Aotearoa, one of our native manu, a rifleman or titipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris).

The titipounamu is New Zealand's smallest bird, weighing about 7 grams. This is the first photographic record of its wing action, taken in November 1951 at Lake Ohau.

Welcome back to Information Management Mondays and the second extra guide we're sharing. Today it's all about cloud serv...
15/06/2026

Welcome back to Information Management Mondays and the second extra guide we're sharing. Today it's all about cloud services.

Business activities are increasingly becoming cloud based, but how do we manage information in this environment?

The use of public cloud services to create, store and manage information and records does not diminish or remove the statutory responsibilities of your organisation in relation to the Public Records Act 2005 and the mandatory Information and records management standard.

This guide covers New Zealand's policy for cloud-base systems, how to assess the risks of a cloud service, and what information management considerations there are.
https://www.archives.govt.nz/manage-information/how-to-manage-your-information/digital/cloud-services

12/06/2026

Change to reading room hours Monday 15 June.

Our reading room hours will change on Monday 15 June, due to operational requirements.

👉 Auckland will be closed.

👉 Wellington: Te Wai (general reading room) will be open from the usual time, but self-service only until 11.30am (no staff on desks). The Katherine Mansfield reading room will remain closed until 11.30am, then open from 11.30am to 5pm.

If you’re visiting to view collections onsite, please allow extra time, as your items may not arrive until early afternoon.

👉 Christchurch and Dunedin will be open from 11.30am to 1pm.

https://www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/visit-our-reading-rooms

We’re ending International Archives Week by reflecting on the past and looking to the future, highlighting work that is ...
11/06/2026

We’re ending International Archives Week by reflecting on the past and looking to the future, highlighting work that is currently happening across Aotearoa.

This year’s theme — Archives for justice: rights, memory and futures — highlights the vital role archives play to support rights, preserve memory and shape a fairer future.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care showed that when records are missing, incomplete, or hard to access, it can stand in the way of justice for survivors, their whānau and our communities.

We are leading work to uplift care recordkeeping across government. Our newly formed Crown Response Programme is working alongside survivors, community groups, archivists and agencies to improve access to historical care records, and to promote best practice in care recordkeeping for the future.

🔗 Read more about this important mahi at the link in the comments.

Today for International Archives Week, we’re sharing Civil Court records from our Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland office. These...
10/06/2026

Today for International Archives Week, we’re sharing Civil Court records from our Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland office. These include probated wills, divorces, bankruptcy files, civil cases, appeals, Employment Court hearings, and maintenance records.

Our Auckland archive has a large catchment, caring for Civil Court records from Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Tairāwhiti Gisborne.

Many of these records show people seeking justice. This could be against another person, a company, an employer, a council, or the Crown. They matter because they show the process followed and can provide evidence of rights.

Some Court proceedings are searchable by name in our database, but in some cases, names cannot be made public until the records are over 100 years old.

Many records transferred to us in the 1980s and 1990s were listed by file number only. We are working on projects to improve this and make records easier to find.

🔗 Search these records by name on Collections online or contact our Auckland team via Ask an archivist. The links are in the comments.

It’s day three of International Archives Week and we’re spotlighting the office at Ōtautahi Christchurch by sharing the ...
09/06/2026

It’s day three of International Archives Week and we’re spotlighting the office at Ōtautahi Christchurch by sharing the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961.

The Treaty was originally signed on 1 December 1959 by 12 countries — Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Negotiated during the Cold War, it states that “Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only” and backed international cooperation in scientific research, including the sharing of data. It also set clear responsibilities to protect the Antarctic environment and wildlife.

Ōtautahi has a strong connection to this story. Christchurch is one of only five gateway cities to Antarctica and has deep links to the Scott and Shackleton expeditions.

Records held at Archives New Zealand in Ōtautahi (CH 370, Series 2802) reflect this history and New Zealand’s role as a Treaty partner.

Today, Canterbury continues to support Scott Base and helps uphold Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and scientific research.

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