Free entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

See the original Treaty of Waitangi

Visit the original Treaty of Waitangi at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, explore the stories of Te Tiriti, and get to know the people who signed the document.

He Tohu

He Tohu is a permanent exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa in a room called He whakapapa kōrero and is inspired by a waka huia – a treasure box. The treasure box holds the three iconic constitutional documents that shape Aotearoa New Zealand. The documents are:

  • He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand (1835)

  • Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty of Waitangi (1840)

  • Women’s Suffrage Petition – Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine (1893).

There are interactive features to get up close to the documents, and for people to trace the life-stories of the signatories and discovering their own family connections.

Visit the Treaty of Waitangi He Tohu exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, Cnr Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington.