Over the past decade, one project has dominated the conversation across the archives sector in New Zealand – the building of Te Rua at Archives New Zealand, linking with the National Library Building, and full redevelopment of the campus area around Aitken Street, Wellington. With a budget of $290 million and over a million hours of labour logged, the project spanned 3 chief archivists and many multiple Archives Council members. The opening on March 25th, 2026 was therefore a great day for everyone involved, both past and present.
What is Te Kahu?
The Heritage Campus, also named Te Kahu, not only includes Archives New Zealand and National library, but also incorporates Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision in its wider net. Te Kahu is made up of four separate, but interwoven, parts:
- Te Rua: The new archival building. it is the name given to the storehouse for the kūmara once grown on Pipitea Pā.
- Te Puna: The National Library building. This refers to a wellspring or source, the context of the heritage campus holding taonga for the nation to feed minds.
- Te Hono: The link bridge connecting the two buildings
- Te Kahu: The name for the entire heritage campus. It refers to a cloak and, in the case of the Heritage Campus, it relates to protecting all those things that are important to us – our taonga, history, the memories of this nation, or it is a place that weaves together the story of a nation.
While the taonga within and Te Kahu itself are publicly owned, the building base and land belongs to a Canadian Mutual Fund, with the developer, Dexus, also working as managers of the site. it is also now New Zealand’s most seismically resilient public building.
The Opening Ceremony
The day was a very early start for myself, up at 4.30am with the first flight from Christchurch to Wellington. After arrival, I met up with Richard Foy, ex-Chief Archivist and current ARANZ President before the opening ceremony.for Te Kahu. We watched from a coffee shop across the road as library and archives staff streamed down Aitken Street ready for another business day. The dignitaries attending the ceremony, spotted here and there, were noticeable in their best outfits. Along with Andy Fenton of NZMS, we soon made our way to the entrance way of National Library and ushered to Te Hono for the start of the ceremony.
The ceremony was opened with a beautiful pōwhiri, followed by National Librarian | Te Pouhuaki Rachel Esson, who talked about the trials and tribulations along the way of this massive undertaking. Rachel noted that what had stood out was the new, collaborative approach that all staff of the institutions had adapted to, not only linking the buildings physically, but also collegially. Next was Minister for Department of Internal Affairs, Brooke Van Velden, talking about the importance of the new building, the public-private partnership that brought it to fruition, and the maintenance of New Zealand’s history in a safe and secure location.
It’s a core function of this Government, and every government, to make sure that no matter who you are, what background you are from, you have access to our nation’s memory and our history
– Brooke Van Velden
An Archival Surprise
Following the unveiling of the opening plaque, attendees were treated to a tour of first floor where various National Library and Archives New Zealand taonga were on display. The one that stood out to me was the Army Service History Sheet of none other than Charles Upham, twice awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar. The most interesting part of the record noted that he received wounds on several of his escape attempts, the last of which earned him a dangerous” classification and had him sent to the notorious Colditz Castle (Oflag IV-C).
We then went downstairs to the main lobby for coffee and canapés. Mixing and mingling with the crowd, I was introduced by Anahera to Leslie Weir, Chief Librarian and Archivist of Canada and her contingent of fellow Canucks. The talk quickly turned to how it is still snowing back in the True North Strong and Free in late March (winters of which I do not miss!). I was also introduced to Robin L Dale, Deputy Librarian at the Library of Congress. I also caught up with Simon Froude, Director-General of National Archives of Australia. All had spent the past week in New Zealand having a high-level meetings about the future of our sector, the topic of which was a panel talk later that evening. A true who’s-who of the Library and Archives world.
Reflections For Our Sector
It was this important day, the catching up with colleagues in the sector, and the thought provoking conversations we all had that played through my mind as we followed up that afternoon with our quarterly Archives Council Meeting. At the forefront perhaps was Chief Archivist Anahera Morehu’s words, who had made abundantly clear in our talks that day and over the past few years, that we are not creating these institutions not for ourselves, but for our mokopuna – our children, their children, and their children after them.
We are the ghost of our children’s future – everything we do, we do for them, and the memories we leave behind.
For further information on the opening, new building, and what is next, you can follow the links below:
– Archives New Zealand: Te Kahu heritage campus information
– Radio New Zealand: Archives NZ’s new Wellington building opens
– IT Brief New Zealand: New Zealand opens Te Rua archive centre in Wellington
– The Post: Te Kahu heritage campus opens, uniting nation’s memory institutions under one roof
– The Post: Te Kahu heritage campus officially opens to the public
Te Kahu officially opened in Wellington on 25 March 2026, bringing Archives New Zealand and the National Library together in one purpose-built heritage campus designed to protect and improve access to Aotearoa New Zealand’s documentary heritage.