A bequest can help our work!
Conservation and urgent repairs at Alberton, Auckland, a property cared for by the NZHPT.
By making provision in your will for New Zealand Historic Places Trust Pouhere Taonga you can support our work and provide a lasting gift for our nation’s heritage – a gift that will last forever. Every gift counts, every bequest means something more we can do to preserve our heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.
Some of our most significant sites – among them Kemp House in Kerikeri (New Zealand’s oldest existing building), Alberton in Auckland and Fyffe House in Kaikoura – have been gifted or bequeathed to NZHPT.
Bequests to NZHPT can be:
- Gift of money
- Gift of property and real estate to keep or to sell
- Gift of historic objects and artifacts.
Bequest of money
You don’t need to have a lot of money to leave a bequest. Anyone can leave a bequest to NZHPT and we welcome all gifts, large or small.
Money from bequests has been particularly valuable to NZHPT for maintaining and interpreting our heritage properties and for maintaining our collection of historic objects and precious items relating to our properties.
Bequest of property or real estate
The NZHPT accepts gifts of real estate and property. Gifts of property can be made at any time (before or after death) and our donee status with IRD means they won’t incur gift duty or estate duty.
We do need to ensure that resources will be available to successfully maintain, interpret and operate the property, together with any associated heritage collections, well into the future, so please contact us first to discuss a bequest of property. Please ring the Funding Development Manager on 0800 437 482 to discuss it first, or write to Bridget Gerrie, Funding Development Manager, NZHPT, P O Box 2629 Wellington, email bgerrie@historic.org.nz
Bequest of historic objects
The NZHPT is interested in acquiring items that once belonged to any of the Heritage Destinations properties that it cares for. We may also acquire items that are directly relevant to the history illustrated by a particular property or to people associated with it.
If you would like to bequeath or donate an item associated with one of our properties, please contact the Funding Development Manager on 0800 437 482 to discuss it first.
The areas in which we work (and for which we need help) are:
Heritage identification
Places that contribute to New Zealand’s culture and heritage are identified and their stories recorded
How our work assists heritage identification:
- Since 1955, we have collected and stored New Zealand’s heritage information.
- Maintaining the NZHPT Register of historic places, historic areas, wāhi tapu and wāhi tapu areas is one of our statutory obligations
- We undertake thematic studies, such as New Zealand’s Modern Movement architecture
- We make the information useful and available – using the internet and other means so that external organisations and the public can access it.
- Before it is lost forever we gather precious heritage information. Loss from development or coastal erosion can’t always be prevented, but we can help by recording using photographic surveys, architectural drawings and archaeological recording prior to the destruction at heritage sites.
Heritage survival
Places that are identified as significant to New Zealand’s culture and heritage survive
How our work ensures heritage survival:
- We work with owners to protect and conserve heritage values.
- Our advocacy work and the archaeological authority process protect significant heritage wherever possible.
- Our staff work to ensure heritage places continue to be economically viable with advice, information and support to individuals, owners, heritage professionals, local bodies, and councils.
- NZHPT seeks to support whānau, hapū and iwi to manage and protect their heritage places, working directly with them on conservation and developing resources and workshop programmes that build the capability of Māori communities to ensure the survival of heritage places.
NZHPT's properties
- NZHPT is the custodian of 48 heritage destinations (properties) that are significant to New Zealand’s heritage. Many of these are well-known and visited – such as the Kerikeri Stone Store, Pompallier Mission at Russell, Alberton in Auckland, Te Porere Redoubt in Ruapehu District, Old St Paul’s in Wellington, Timeball Station in Lyttelton and Totara Estate near Oamaru.
- The management of these properties constitutes one of the largest heritage property portfolios in New Zealand, and includes a significant collection of over 60,000 artifacts and historic items, such as works of art, colonial furniture, books, toys, photographs, clothing, tools and engineering equipment, kitchen and other household items.
- NZHPT aims to conserve these places and their collections as far as we can within budget limitations, and to ensure that best practice conservation is demonstrated wherever possible.
- A comprehensive programme of repair and conservation work, including the preparation of conservation plans, is under way.
Heritage appreciation
New Zealanders appreciate those places that contribute to their sense of place, identity and belonging
How our work contributes to heritage appreciation:
- Our 48 heritage destination properties give visitors an increased understanding of New Zealand’s past, our cultural identity and, for New Zealanders, their place within it.
- We work with regional and national tourism operators and contribute to local and regional economic development.
- Educating New Zealanders about our past and the value of heritage places leads to their conservation for the benefit of both present and future generations.
- We ensure that the community and decision makers have accurate information on which to base decisions about the retention or loss of heritage.
Telling our stories