Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, is an online encyclopedia created by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage of the New Zealand Government. The project was established in 2002 and the website launched in 2005. Te Ara is a long-term project, although much content is already visible.

The encyclopedia is edited by esteemed historian Jock Phillips and has a staff of writers, editors, image and resource researchers, and designers. It is organised in a thematic way, and its first theme focuses on telling the stories of New Zealanders. The story of the migration of peoples to New Zealand, and the history of their settlement has been written, including the stories of New Zealand's indigenous Māori people, and other immigrant groups. Geographical information is also being added progressively. An overview section, New Zealand in Brief, presents summary coverage of themes to be explanded later.

In 2006 a second thematic group of entries was published entitled Earth, Sea and Sky - covering ocean fish, sea- and shorebirds and other marine life, the interactions of people and the sea, the country's natural resources, and shaping forces such as geology, volcanology, weather and climate. Distinctively New Zealand features are the main focus of the content, and scientific and technical data is presented within its social and human context.

A further seven thematic groups of entries are in preparation and themes will be released roughly annually from 2007.

The project was preceded by the last such significant work, An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, first published in 1966, and edited by A.H. McLintock. A digitised version of this work now forms part of the Te Ara website.

Entries on topics relating substantially to Māori are presented in the Māori language as well as in English.

References

Te Ara