In this edition we celebrate Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa | NZ Music Month 2026 with details of a free Auckland exhibition which we supplied music videos for, and a docuseries showcasing waiata and haka. We also celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s centenary and mark the onset of winter.
On 8 May, the world celebrated the 100th birthday of the acclaimed natural historian and documentary maker, Sir David Attenborough. Sir David has visited New Zealand numerous times throughout his long career. In 1982 he was interviewed while visiting to film The Living Planet and spoke to RNZ about the unique wildlife he was filming here, such as the kiwi and tuatara.
An excerpt of this interview is now available in the online collection.
Koia nei te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa.
Me te aha, kua timata te whakatāiri i ngā raupapa kohinga waiata-a-iwi Iwi Anthems ki te paetukutuku a Ngā Taonga.
As we celebrate NZ Music Month, Ngā Taonga is excited to announce that episodes of Iwi Anthems are being added to the online collection. Filmed in 2014, this powerful docuseries showcases waiata and haka unique to the iwi featured throughout the series, capturing the distinct identity and storytelling traditions of each through music.
Iwi Anthems highlights the vocal arrangements, signature harmonies, and generations of waiata that continue to shape and represent iwi Māori today. More than performance, these anthems are expressions of identity, history, pride, and connection while also delivering powerful entertainment.
From iconic iwi classics and upbeat pātere, to heartfelt ballads and timeless waiata aroha, Iwi Anthems captures the soul, warmth, and power of waiata Māori.
The Mataatua region features in this episode of Iwi Antems, capturing the soulful sound of the Ngāti Awa people who reside at the foot of Mount Pūtauaki. More episodes can be found in the online collection.
As the winds of winter approach, enjoy the icy vistas and impressive cinematography in this 1933 publicity video about the South Island’s Southern Alps. Included is footage of a winter snowball fight outside the iconic Mount Cook Hermitage Hotel, which still operates today. The video is one of many publicity films produced by the government in the early twentieth century to promote the country’s attractive natural scenery to potential visitors. More can be viewed in the online collection.
Auckland! Until August 28th, Central City Library | Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero has a free exhibition about the city's storied live music scene.
Encore! includes music videos supplied by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, alongside over 100 items from Auckland Libraries' Heritage Collections. We were pleased to be able to supply them with much-loved videos by Chris Knox, Hello Sailor, Moana and the Moa Hunters, and more.
IMAGE CREDITS
1) Thumbnail image from NZBC NEWS - DAVID ATTENBOROUGH. Collection ref. TZP89014.
2) Thumbnail image from IWI ANTHEMS. SERIES 1. EPISODE 31. Collection ref. F232569.
3) Thumbnail image from HAPPY ALTITUDES IN NEW ZEALAND'S SOUTHERN ALPS. Collection ref. F6417.
4) Image from the Encore! exhibition in Auckland. Credit: Auckland Libraries.
