Our historians, writers, researchers and advisers help make information about New Zealand history easy to find, and create opportunities for New Zealanders to engage with their heritage. A lot of our resources are available online, and we also publish books and make oral history programmes.
You’ll find enlightening and stimulating insights into New Zealand’s past on our websites NZHistory and Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. We also manage a series of sites with a special focus on New Zealand’s involvement in military conflicts, including Anzac Day, 28th Māori Battalion and the Vietnam War Oral History Project.
Te Ara — the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Vietnam War Oral History Project website
We look after memorials, monuments and war graves throughout New Zealand. We also commission the construction of new memorials, such as the New Zealand Memorial in London and the planned Memorial Park in Wellington. We work with other government agencies to arrange military commemorations at the National War Memorial.
The use of symbols like the New Zealand Flag, the New Zealand Coat of Arms and New Zealand's National Anthems is covered by legislation that we administer along with The Protected Objects Act 1975. This controls the trading of taonga tūturu and places limitations on the exports of objects.
We also allocate contestable funding for commemorating Waitangi Day events and manage the government indemnity scheme for touring exhibitions.
The Heritage Services Branch comprises five teams: the First World War Centenary Programme, the History Group, Heritage Operations, the Reference Group and the Web Team. The branch is managed by Ronald Milne, Heritage Services Branch Manager and Deputy Chief Executive.
