Treaty settlement geographic names

Treaty settlements can restore/correct original Māori names and make them official, or collect original names as unofficial names recognising their significance.

LINZ/NZGB states that all place names included in a Treaty settlement are published in the New Zealand Gazetteer with their histories.

Research chain

Deed / settlement attachments
→ settlement legislation
→ Gazette naming notice/event
→ New Zealand Gazetteer Name ID/status
→ current GIS place-name layer

Why this helps historical GIS

The settlement source can explain why a name changed and identify previous names. The Gazetteer provides the current official/collected record and GIS geometry.

Keep the date

A historical map using the former official name is not wrong; it can be accurate for its publication date. Use time/date-aware labels where the research covers naming change.

Official source: NZGB Treaty settlement place names.

See Gazette notices.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026