Archives New Zealand

This abstract summarizes an audio recording titled "Archives New Zealand," recorded on the 4th of October, 2016, featuring an interview with senior archivist Donal Raethel in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

The principal subject is the nature of Archives New Zealand, its collections, and the differences between Archives New Zealand and other cultural institutions such as libraries or museums. Archives New Zealand is described as a repository for New Zealand government records, encompassing various mediums including film, audio tape, paper files, and artwork. This institution holds about 80 kilometers of shelving in its Wellington office, with additional holdings across Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin offices. Its oldest record is a letter by Captain James Cook, which predates the establishment of a European style government bureaucracy in New Zealand around 1840.

Raethel clarifies that not all government-generated records become part of Archives New Zealand’s collection, as their preservation is determined by their perpetual value and directed by the Public Records Act. Raethel also touches on the institution's relationship with rainbow communities, emphasizing that their holdings include treasure troves of varied records from different government agencies that have interacted with members of these communities.

The interview provides specific examples such as newspaper clippings on homosexual law reform and an inquiry into a public figure's statements regarding homosexual members of parliament. It also covers intriguing items like the story of Hjelmar von Dannevill, a nonconforming individual during the First World War and various police gazettes with potentially significant information on individuals relevant to rainbow community research.

In addition, the archivist enlightens on the acquisition process for government agents’ records, noting that it's not mandatory to deposit with Archives New Zealand, allowing discretion based on whether records are deemed to carry permanent value.

Turning focus onto the accessibility of records, Raethel explains that although many records are public, others face restrictions primarily due to privacy or preservation concerns. Procedures for gaining access to restricted records for research purposes are established, often entailing approvals from relevant agencies.

An interesting segment within the interview is the exploration of keywords in research related to rainbow communities. Raethel notes that traditional terms like 'homosexual' and 'lesbian' would only offer a small fraction of their vast holdings, necessitating broader and more creative search strategies.

Lastly, the ease of conducting research at Archives New Zealand is emphasized. The process invites anyone to access unrestricted records, provided they register and conform to any stipulated conditions of access. Researchers are encouraged to utilize available published references and resources as starting points for their inquiries at the Archives.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Donal Raethel

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