Anahera Morehu has been appointed to the permanent role of Chief Archivist. Anahera is currently the Acting Chief Archivist, seconded into the role in November 2022. Her substantive position was Kaihautū for Archives NZ.

The Chief Archivist ensures compliance with the Public Records Act, and is the steward of the public record. The role also oversees guardianship of our most important national documents, taonga that include He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine. Together with the National Librarian, Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision’s Tumu Whakarae and other sector leaders, the Chief Archivist plays a shared role in the realisation of the Te Ara Tahi programme, associated transformational change and workforce planning.  

The Chief Archivist role is pivotal as we look to build stronger partnerships with communities across the country to care for and provide access to the nation’s memory. This includes work supporting iwi, hapū and whānau to preserve their taonga on the ground, including on marae. Over the next three to five years, the role of the Chief Archivist will be crucial to driving uplift across the regulated sector, shifting the regulatory approach away from reporting to also include communication, education, and training.

Because of the importance of the role, we followed a formal recruitment process, supported by Amy Tea Consulting, an executive search firm experienced in the recruitment of executive leadership roles. This is in line with the Public Service Act 2020, which states there must be an open, transparent, and contestable process. Applications were open to internal and external candidates.

Applications were received from across New Zealand and overseas. I was joined on the panel by Honiana Love from Ngā Taonga, Courtney Johnston from Te Papa and Elaine McCaw an Executive Recruited and HR Specialist. To help inform our search, Archives kaimahi contributed their thoughts on qualities they were looking for in a Chief Archivist. Their feedback helped informed our thinking when considering each applicant.

Anahera is an established leader across the libraries and information management sectors and across iwi Māori. A former President of LIANZA Council, Anahera has had leadership roles with IFLA – the International Federation of Library Associations and is a member of the trust board of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua.  

Anahera impressed the panel with her deliberate approach to leadership, balancing immediate issues management with the need to set the foundations for longer-term organisational stabilisation and preparedness for change, including the move into the new Archives building scheduled for 2025/26. Anahera also spoke to her leadership experience in both the western institutional and external iwi Māori settings.

Anahera is the country’s first Māori and wāhine Māori to hold this important statutory role in a permanent capacity. He uri a Anahera no Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri me Ngāti Kahu hoki. He wahine toa, he wahine ātaahua, he wahine whai koha, he wahine aroha nui, he wahine whakakatakata, he wahine humarie, he rangatira!

I thanked Anahera for her excellent leadership of Archives over the past nine months, overseeing some significant pieces of work, while on secondment and look forward to continuing to work closely with her in the permanent role.

There will be an opportunity to recognise her and to officially welcome her to the permanent position with a mihi whakatau in early July.

Given the scope of anticipated change, the workload associated with the realisation of the Te Ara Tahi programme and the move of Archives to the new building, we are also looking to appoint a General Manager for Archives for up to four years. The GM role has proven valuable in providing the Chief Archivist with additional senior leadership and operational management support. This appointment, of course, has flow on effects for the Kaihautū role at Archives. The intention is to run a contestable appointment process for this role in due course.

Hoani Lambert (ia/he/him)

He uri taniwha nō Te Reinga, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe

Hautū | Deputy Chief Executive

Te Haumi | Enterprise Partnerships

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs