Place-name research workflow

1. Preserve the source form

Record spelling, source, page/map and date exactly.

2. Search the Gazetteer

Search partial names as well as exact spelling. Inspect related/other names, status, feature type, coordinates and Name ID.

3. Search historical variants

Use Papers Past, DigitalNZ and historical maps with no-macron and older variants.

4. Search land records

If the name resembles a block, use Pātaka Whenua and survey/title records.

5. Search geography around it

Nearby awa, maunga, roads and blocks can disambiguate same-name candidates.

6. Store alternatives

Keep several candidate matches if evidence does not choose between them. A null/uncertain coordinate is preferable to selecting the nearest modern name without support.

7. Make a mapped research record

Store source name, linked current name (if established), Name ID, geometry method, evidence and uncertainty.

For large document collections use Local AI as a search assistant, not a geographic authority.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026