Stephen Clarke has been appointed as New Zealand’s permanent Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua. Stephen joins Te Rua
Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency where he is currently the Chief Data
Officer.
Internal Affairs Deputy Chief Executive Information & Knowledge Services Peter Murray says this appointment panel was looking for a leader to cover the archiving
disciplines, regulatory management, Te Ao Maori, digital and delivery.
“Stephen stood out due to his passion for information management and standards, and a strong academic background in
Archives management. Making the appointment to the Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua role permanent will ensure
long-term impact for the institution, staff and sector.”
Stephen says the Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua position is his dream role. “I am passionate about working in the
heritage sector. Getting value from our memory, information and taonga to make New Zealand a fairer, safer and more
equitable place is what inspires me professionally, maintaining our past to inform our future - kia whakatomuri te haere
whakamua.
The role of Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua is a strategic leadership position, with independent statutory
responsibilities, charged with setting the direction for Archives New Zealand. In a permanent appointment, we were
looking for a Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua who can take our government archives to the people, oversee the
preservation and protection of more than seven million official records, lead a passionate team of experts and be part
of the transformation of our nation’s documentary heritage sector.
With significant recent investment in Aotearoa New Zealand history, this is an exciting time to join Archives and a key
role in leading the work to better safeguard and preserve our holdings so current and future generations can access our
unique stories and heritage.
Current Chief Archivist - Kaipupuri Matua Richard Foy was seconded into the role in August 2017, extended after Election
17, again while the National Archives and Library Institutions (NALI) Ministerial Review progressed and finally to 30
October 2020 to allow for this recruitment to take place. At this time his term will end.
Internal Affairs Chief Executive Paul James says, “I would like to thank Richard for the progress he has made during his
three years at Archives New Zealand.
“Among his many achievements he has successfully progressed the Archives New Zealand 2057 Strategy work, launched a new
user-friendly Archives New Zealand website, initiated a project to replace the existing Archives’ online systems
enabling better public access to our government records.
“Perhaps the biggest impact Richard has led is the digitisation programme where over 100,000 records have been digitised
and made accessible online for people anywhere in New Zealand and the world.”
Stephen will begin his role on Monday 30 November 2020.Biography
Born in Scotland, Stephen Clarke is a former engineer who took up a career in archives and records management in the
1990s.
After graduating with a degree in history and social anthropology and gaining professional experience in local authority
archives and university libraries, Stephen undertook the Archives Administration and Records Management post-graduate
professional qualification in the UK, specialising in medieval charters.
In 2006 Stephen moved to New Zealand, leaving the National Museum of Wales to join Archives New Zealand, and beginning
his career in the New Zealand public service. Stephen brings twenty years’ experience leading teams to deliver digital
services in the public sector, in agencies including the Office of the Auditor General, Inland Revenue, the Department
of Internal Affairs, Office of the Ombudsman, Te Puni Kōkiri and Transpower. His most recent role has been as the Chief
Data Officer for Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
Internationally, Stephen is known as a thought-leader and standards expert having developed standards for records
management, digitization of records, and the International Council on Archives: Principles and functional requirements
for records in electronic office environments standard. As a former anthropologist and a technical practitioner, Stephen
understands that successful societal outcomes come from bringing cultural and technical together to create human-centred
services that work for people, delivered by technology.
When not at work, Stephen likes to spend time with his two daughters, reading sci-fi and philosophy, watching Scottish
football and collecting 1970/80s punk records.