Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries

Where did the New Zealand accent come from and why does it sound the way it does today?

Surprisingly, Auckland, NZ’s largest urban centre, has been notably underrepresented in research on the origins of our accent. Past work has been largely South Island and rurally focused, however newly rediscovered historical writings suggest the NZ accent may have developed fastest in the North Island, particularly in Auckland.

To tell us more about this we welcome Dr Brooke Ross who is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and Design at the University of Auckland. With a background in Linguistics and Speech Science, her interdisciplinary research uses speech technology to understand how and why the New Zealand accent is changing over time.

In this episode, we talk with James Littlewood about his work on the Going West Writers Festival archive. James reflects on the experience of working with the voices that make up the 30 years of sound and photographic records housed at Auckland Libraires Heritage Collections.

This track illustrates the treasure which is this archive through James' playing favourites.
To read more about access to the archive and the work of Going West Trust see the Heritage et AL blog here:

The tracks appear in order include:

Glenn Colquhoun, poetry performance, with Richard Nunns and Bob Bickerton, 2009 https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5117/rec/8

Dianne Bardsley and John Reynolds, discussion, 2008
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5105/rec/1

Margaret Mahy and Catherine Chidgey, discussion, 2000
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/4913/rec/3

Dave Dobbyn, Chris Knox, discussion, 1998
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/4863/rec/1

Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures, presentation and performance, 2006
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5052/rec/1

Dr Joanne Drayton, interview, 2008
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5099/rec/1

Graham Brazier and Harry Lyon, in conversation, 2014
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5249/rec/3

Graham Brazier and Harry Lyon, play Gutter Black, 2014
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5249/rec/3

Thank you to all the authors and artists for their generosity in sharing this material from the archive.
Copyright permissions are required for further replay of this material.
Please request access via Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.

The archival project work with the Going West Trust was supported by a Lotteries Grant and the support of the Auckland Libraries Heritage Trust.

See Going West Trust for additional podcast material and matters pertaining to the current work of the Trust https://www.goingwestfest.co.nz/

Revisit Auckland in the 1990s and early 2000s, when dance music culture in Aotearoa was finding its pulse. Warehouses, nightclubs, bush parties and late-night radio built a scene that was energetic, resourceful and distinctly local. Interviewed by Emma Jean Kelly, five DJs and producers reflect on their experiences of a formative period in the evolution of dance music in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Hear the voices of Tiopira McDowell (Miso / Mokotron), Grant Marshall, Chris Chetland, Tim Checkley (Jizmatron / Go Nuclear) and Matt Mariu.

Created in support of the Encore! exhibition, this collection adds vital voices to the history of gigs, venues, genres and music production. https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/en/encore.html

Needle on the Record is produced from long-form oral history interviews commissioned by Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections. https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/oralhistory/id/5352/rec/1

Interviews, selected clips and podcast script by Emma-Jean Kelly.
Narrated and mixed by Julian Lubin.
Produced by Sue Berman.

Photo credit: Needle on the Record, Sue Berman, 2026
Music credit: DIMMYSAD free use https://pixabay.com/music/drum-n-bass-jungle-waves-drumampbass-electronic-inspiring-promo-345013/

Copyright restrictions apply. Please request permission for further use of material.
https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/en/heritage-and-research/research-enquiry.html

In this episode, we talk with Sue Bradford about her work on the Auckland Unemployed Workers Rights Centre (AUWRC) archive. Sue reflects on the experience of sorting through long‑held boxes of papers, magazines, minute books, photographs, and posters.

This work was supported by the 2025 John Stacpoole Scholarship, awarded by the Auckland Libraries Heritage Trust.
https://www.alht.org.nz/blog/post/160688/aucklands-unemployed-fightback-history-public-talk/

You can read Sue Bradford's written reflections on the project here: https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2026/05/auckland-unemployed-workers-rights-centre-archive.html

The archive will shortly be accessioned by Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection.

In this episode we navigate heritage maps with maps librarian Katrina Laan.

Katrina shares with us five of her favourite maps including the first printed map of the Pacific in 1601, a 1946 tourist map, the fabulous Thomas Wing’s map of the Kaipara Harbour 1835, early city fire insurance maps 1915 and we learn 'just what is a cadastral map'? Listen in to a lively discussion to learn more about these maps and more.

You can read more here:
https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2026/03/awekura-maps.html

And check out an earlier podcast on the Wings maps here: https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/chart-of-kaipara-harbour-by-thomas-wing?in=auckland-libraries/sets/real-gold-treasures-of-the

Links to Auckland Libraries Heritage Maps via Kura Heritage Collections online: https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps

Maris Pacifici, 1601, Abraham Ortelius, Map 9588
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/9743/rec/1

Auckland and environs : sheet no.4., 1924, New Zealand Department of Lands and Survey, Map 77
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/1972/rec/2

Tourist map of New Zealand, 1946, New Zealand Government Tourist Department; Map 9091
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/9134/rec/1

Chart of the entrance to Kaipara Harbour, Captain Thomas Wing, January, 1836. Map 4613
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/1211/rec/3

Fire insurance maps, 1915, Council of Fire and Accident Underwriters' Association of New Zealand, Map 9128
https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/maps/id/9340/rec/1