Gazette notices and place names
An official Gazetteer entry normally includes the Gazette notice or legislative reference that made/altered the name official.
Research path
- find the name in the New Zealand Gazetteer
- record Name ID, status and event history
- open the cited New Zealand Gazette notice or legislation
- record the decision date and any previous/discontinued name
- inspect settlement documents where the name arose through Treaty redress
Current and recent decisions
LINZ publishes a recent place-name decisions page for decisions from the past year; older decisions remain traceable through the Gazetteer/Gazette.
Why this helps GIS
A name-change date can anchor historical map comparisons. A current basemap and a 1950 map can both be correct for their periods while showing different labels.
See Treaty settlement place names.
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026