Neill Atkinson

I am Chief Historian at Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Prior to this I worked as a historian for the Ministry, as an editor/researcher for the Dictionary of NZ Biography and as a freelance historian.

In this role I oversee content for the ministry’s history and reference websites, including Te Ara – Encyclopedia of NZ, Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau – Dictionary of NZ Biography, NZHistory/Te Akomanga, 28th Māori Battalion and Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories, as well as commissioned print histories and other projects. I contributed to major historical milestones such as the WW100 First World War Centenary, Suffrage 125, Tuia 250 and the government’s 2021 Dawn Raids apology, and helped organise the international Myriad Faces of War symposium at Te Papa (2017) and the ‘Scarred Nations’ symposium at Auckland Museum (2023).

I have written, co-written or edited nine books, including ‘Trainland’ and ‘Railways Studios’ on New Zealand’s railway history, ‘Crew Culture’ and ‘Hell or High Water’ on seafaring, and ‘Adventures in Democracy’ and ‘Rewarding Service’ on the history of government and politics.

I was President of PHANZA from 2007 to 2010, after serving on its national executive from 2003. I have also served on the executive of the Labour History Project (2003-09), Te Papa’s Research Advisory Panel, the editorial board of the New Zealand Journal of History (2019-25), and was a founding trustee of the New Zealand UNESCO Memory of the World programme (2010-17).