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Introducing Documenting our Heritage!
August 30, 2023 | Stories

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Dunedin Public Libraries are proud to present the first Documenting our Heritage Photography Competition.

Please note: Documenting Our Heritage is closed for 2023. Keep an eye out for similar competitions in the future.

Dunedin Town Hall courtesy of Sean Eyre | Flickr
Help us refresh our images of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant historic places!

Submit your recent photos of historic places in Otago and Southland between 15-29 September and see them displayed at Dunedin City Library during the Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival.

Your photos may also be selected for inclusion on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero (the List) and Dunedin Public Libraries' digital collection, Scattered Seeds – He Purapura Marara.

Competition opens: 15 September 2023 

Competition closes: 29 September 2023

Winners announced: 5 October at Heritage Bytes

Judge: Dr Mark McGuire taught design at the University of Otago and now writes about and practices street photography. Check out his work on Substack and Instagram.

Find out more in our guidelines.

Photos from the List

Explore photos of historic places in Otago and Southland on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero.

Chingford Stables (List No. 2146) courtesy of Phil Braithwaite
Lisburn House (List No. 2192)
Invercargill Water Tower (List No. 394) courtesy of Shellie Evans
Dunedin Town Hall and Concert Chamber (List No. 2150) courtesy of edwin.11 | Flickr
Invercargill First Presbyterian Church (List No. 387) courtesy of denisbin | Flickr
Criterion Hotel (List No. 4689) courtesy of Mike Heydon | Heritage New Zealand magazine

Guidelines

Finding historic places to photograph

All photographs should be of a place included on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero (the List) in the Otago or Southland regions.

All photos should be taken from public land. Remember you cannot enter private property.

Search the List here.

Taking your photographs

Our aim is to document our heritage places as they look right now, so the style of photography should be flat, show full elevations of the buildings and some context to locate the place within its setting.

  • photos should be landscape format   
  • photos should be taken straight on to show the front elevation, and also from an angle to show two elevations 
  • avoid including people, cars and rubbish bins

Uploading your entries

Please include your name and the List number of the historic place in the filename of the image, e.g., YourName_ListNo7167.jpeg.

The List number can be found in the "List Entry Information" section of the historic place's online List entry (below the map).

  • photos must be submitted as JPEGs
  • minimum file size 2MB, max file size 10MB 
  • avoid cropping
  • borders, filters, watermarks or signatures should not be included 

Need a hand with the technicalities? Pop into a Digital Drop-Ins – these take place at Dunedin City Library every Wednesday from 10am-12pm.

Terms and Conditions
Click here to read the full terms and conditions

Terms and Conditions 

These conditions of entry apply to all photographic submissions to the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero Photography Competition. 

  1. The competition opens at 9am on Friday 15 September 2023 and closes 5pm, Friday 29 September 2023. No entries will be accepted outside of these times and dates.
  2. All entries must represent a historic place on the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero to be considered.
  3. Photographers must take photographs from a public place. Do not enter private property.
  4. All entries must be submitted online. If you have no internet access but would still like to enter, please email us.
  5. The entrant must be the original author of the work entered as described in the Copyright Act 1994. Copyright will remain with the original author.
  6. By entering this competition, you allow Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga a license to reproduce your image/s with attribution on our websites and social channels, and to allow Dunedin Public Libraries to display the image/s as part of the Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival, and to deposit a copy of the image/s in their digital collection Scattered Seeds – He Purapura Marara with attribution under a CC BY licence.
  7. Photographic entries must have been taken on or after 1 January 2023.
  8. Each person can submit a maximum of 5 photographs.
  9. Photographic entries must adhere to the following specifications: landscape format; avoid including people, cars and bins in your photos; include your Name and the List Number of the historic place in the filename of the image; photos must be submitted as JPEGs; minimum file size 2MB, maximum file size 10MB; we recommend you leave the format of your image its original shape; borders, filters, watermarks or signatures should not be included. 
  10. Photograph entries will not be returned.
  11. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 
  12. Prizes include: BLUNT umbrella (adult entry); A4 print of your photo framed by Gallery De Novo Art and Framing (youth entry). These are non-transferable and are not redeemable for cash.
  13. Winners will be contacted prior to the announcement on 5 October at the Heritage Bytes event at Petrie Dish 7pm.

Terms and Conditions 

These conditions of entry apply to all photographic submissions to the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero Photography Competition. 

  1. The competition opens at 9am on Friday 15 September 2023 and closes 5pm, Friday 29 September 2023. No entries will be accepted outside of these times and dates.
  2. All entries must represent a historic place on the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero to be considered.
  3. Photographers must take photographs from a public place. Do not enter private property.
  4. All entries must be submitted online. If you have no internet access but would still like to enter, please email us.
  5. The entrant must be the original author of the work entered as described in the Copyright Act 1994. Copyright will remain with the original author.
  6. By entering this competition, you allow Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga a license to reproduce your image/s with attribution on our websites and social channels, and to allow Dunedin Public Libraries to display the image/s as part of the Ōtepoti Dunedin Heritage Festival, and to deposit a copy of the image/s in their digital collection Scattered Seeds – He Purapura Marara with attribution under a CC BY licence.
  7. Photographic entries must have been taken on or after 1 January 2023.
  8. Each person can submit a maximum of 5 photographs.
  9. Photographic entries must adhere to the following specifications: landscape format; avoid including people, cars and bins in your photos; include your Name and the List Number of the historic place in the filename of the image; photos must be submitted as JPEGs; minimum file size 2MB, maximum file size 10MB; we recommend you leave the format of your image its original shape; borders, filters, watermarks or signatures should not be included. 
  10. Photograph entries will not be returned.
  11. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 
  12. Prizes include: BLUNT umbrella (adult entry); A4 print of your photo framed by Gallery De Novo Art and Framing (youth entry). These are non-transferable and are not redeemable for cash.
  13. Winners will be contacted prior to the announcement on 5 October at the Heritage Bytes event at Petrie Dish 7pm.
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