Frequently Asked Questions
How is culture and cultural well-being defined by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage?
The word 'culture' has many meanings, some quite narrow, others extremely broad. In its broadest sense, 'culture' refers to the whole way of life of a nation or people, and encompasses every kind of phenomenon that gives significance and identity to that way of life: food, sports, religion, and a host of other things.
The Government's cultural involvement is largely concerned with celebrating, promoting or preserving our cultural heritage and the arts.
The 'cultural heritage' and 'the arts' overlap in meaning, and the activities they refer to are combined in practice. Our cultural heritage is extended by what is created now. The same projects or organisations in the cultural sector may be concerned both with aspects of our cultural heritage and with the contemporary arts. See the Culture in New Zealand section from our 2005 Annual Report for more information.
For the Ministry, cultural well-being is defined as being the vitality that communities and individuals enjoy through participation in recreation, creative and cultural activities; and the freedom to retain, interpret and express their arts, history, heritage and traditions. Further explanations and resources are available on our cultural well-being website
When and how the Ministry was established?
Please refer to our brief history page.
Who is the Ministry's Chief Executive?
The Ministry’s Chief Executive is Lewis Holden. The Deputy Chief Executive is Bronwyn Dalley.
How can I contact the Ministry?
Please refer to our contact page.
I'm seeking general information about New Zealand, its culture, places and people?
Increasingly the Ministry is making information available through our various websites. Relevant ones include the Ministry's Te Ara - the encyclopedia of New Zealand, NZHistory.net.nz and NZLive.com websites and Tourism New Zealand's site which offers information about visiting the country. Statistical data about New Zealand is available through Statistics New Zealand. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage does not have any printed resources such as posters or booklets.
Does New Zealand have an official colour, flower or motto?
Unlike other countries, New Zealand does not have any official colour, flower or motto. Although there are a number of unofficial symbols such as the Silver Fern and the colour of black as representing New Zealand. The origins of the 'All Blacks' are explained in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. The present New Zealand Coat of Arms is a 1956 revision of the 1911 design. At that time, the motto was changed from 'Onward' to 'New Zealand'.
According to the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, as early as 1916 the kowhai was suggested as a national emblem; but although this claim has often been revived it has never been widely accepted. The clematis and manuka flowers have also had their advocates, but these have not made much headway against the fern leaf. The tree fern or “silver fern” has also received recognition as New Zealand's official badge, although it does not enjoy statutory protection like the Southern Cross. You can read more about the Silver Fern on Te Ara's website.
I require funding for a project – what funding does the Ministry offer?
Please refer to our Awards and Funding section.
For other types of funding inquiries, the Funding Information Service is recommended.
I'm seeking details about a relative's war service, what information is available?
Copies of military services records are available through either New Zealand Defence Force's Personnel Archives or Archives New Zealand. The South African War files (1899-1902) are now held by Archives New Zealand, while World War One files (1914-1919) are gradually being transferred from the Defence Force to Archives New Zealand. Updates about progress made is available on the New Zealand Defence's Forces website.
The Ministry's Anzac Day website provides names of all New Zealanders interred at various Gallipoli cemeteries or appearing on memorials to the missing. Our South African War feature on NZHistory.net.nz includes a database of all New Zealanders who served in that conflict.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's database lists the 1.7 million people of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars and the 23,000 cemeteries or locations world-wide where they are commemorated. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage can trace the grave or memorial location details of all Commonwealth war dead and provide relevant maps and cemetery plans in most cases.
The 'Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War' series is available online through the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre.
Additional military links are available on the War and Society section of the Ministry's New Zealand history website.
Information about New Zealand and the Vienam War can be found on the Ministry's website set up as part of the Vietnam War Oral History Project. This is also where people can contribute their own memories of the Vietnam War.
I'm interested in recording the history of a relative who served in the Second World War, how do I go about doing this?
Visit the Ministry's From Memory website, which contains all the information you need to conduct your own war oral history interviews. There is a guide to oral history, and background notes and suggested questions that will be useful for interviewing Second World War veterans. Material relevant to subsequent conflicts will appear on this website in due course.
I would like to obtain a non-commercial radio license
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage works in consultation with the Ministry of Economic Development Radio Spectrum Management Group (RSMG) to allocate non-commercial radio and television licences. The RSMG must establish that a frequency is available, and is responsible for managing the engineering process and allocating the frequencies. Detailed information about the process is available on this site's non-commercial license page.