Wellington City Archives

29/05/2026

If you've visited Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui since it opened in March you may have seen our exhibition on the second floor "Dear Wellington". This small exhibition showcases some of the correspondence from the Archives collection that capture everyday moments and major turning points alike. It offers a unique window into Wellingtonians’ evolving relationship with their local government.

It includes the oldest item in our collection, a letter from Chauncey Henry Townsend written in the cross-hatching style from 1840. The exhibition is still up so come have a look the next time you're at Te Matapihi!

27/05/2026

26/05/2026

Can we pick your brains?

We recently came across this poster in the Venues Wellington poster collection and would love to know more about it! Do you remember this show? Can you tell us anything about the performers? We'd love to hear from you!

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21/05/2026

Our reading room at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, the Rūma Pānui, is available to book for research appointments! Located on the second floor as part of Tō Tātou Pōneke, it opened with the rest of Te Matapihi in March. The community archives were moved into the library before opening and you can now book an appointment to view them in the reading room.

While we work on moving the council archives material to the new council building on the corner of Harris Street there will be disruptions to in-person viewings. Once that mahi is complete we'll be able to welcome viewings in the new reading room in that building!

19/05/2026

The Wellington Harbour Board operated many ship facilities on the Wellington waterfront between 1880 and 1989. Here's a look at the plans for a graving dock, located roughly where Waitangi Park is today.

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13/05/2026

With the first stage of the Archives move completed back in March we're hard at work moving the rest of the collection!

The community archives were moved to Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui for the opening of the library and our services can now be accessed from Tō Tātou Pōneke on the second floor. Now we're working on moving the council collection to their new home at the council building at 2 Harris Street.

The shelves are going in now and after some time for the room to off-gas we'll begin moving the collection in! During this time there will likely be disruptions to accessing the collection. Once completed the collections will be able to be physically accessed from the reading rooms at 2 Harris Street and Te Matapihi.

12/05/2026

It's New Zealand Music Month! A celebration of Music from Aotearoa. Wellington has long had a vibrant music scene and in 1986 the Wellington City Council got in on the action, producing this theme song for the capital city.

https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/809026?type=all

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04/05/2026

It's Archaeology Week 2026! Every year the New Zealand Archaeological Association hosts events to to increase public awareness and highlight the importance of protecting Aotearoa's heritage.

A complete list of events can be seen here: https://nzarchaeology.org/news-events/national-archaeology-week-2026-2

Aotearoa’s historical record may be short by old world standards, but we have a rich heritage of archaeological sites both in Wellington, and across the country. The Archives holds a collection of selected Excavation monitoring and building Archaeology reports relating to sites within Wellington. These can be seen on Archives Online here: https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/858434

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24/04/2026

Tomorrow, 25 April, is Anzac Day, which will be observed on Monday 27 April.

The Wellington Cenotaph is located at the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street and has been the location of annual Anzac commemorations since it was built in 1931. Prior to this there was a temporary cenotaph on the corner of Lambton Quay and Molesworth Street, as can be seen in these photos of Anzac commemorations from the 1920s.

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17/04/2026

We're concluding this week's look at the central libraries of Wellington with a familiar sight. Recently reopened to the public and now home to our access services, it's Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui!

By the 1970s the Wellington Central Library was outgrowing its premises in what is now the City Gallery Building. During the 1980s planning began for a Civic Square in the heart of Wellington, incorporating the City Gallery building, Municipal Office Building and Town Hall. It was decided that a new central library would be built on the site, fronting onto Victoria Street and adjacent to the old library.

Te Ngākau Civic Square opened in 1991 with the new library, named Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, meaning ‘The window to the wider world’ and given by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission). The eastern side is a wavy wall of glass that looks out to Te Ngākau Civic Square and pillars fashioned to look like nikau palms decorate the Victoria Street and Harris Street sides.

Following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake the library was closed in 2019 so that it could undergo earthquake strengthening and be placed onto base isolators to withstand future earthquakes. Te Matapihi reopened in March 2026.

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