Bank History

The history of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, (PDF 804KB)
In 2009 the Reserve Bank marked its 75th year of operations – three quarters of a century spanning some of New Zealand’s most tumultuous decades.

New Zealand economic and financial chronology 1993 - 2011,
This chronology lists key economic and financial events for the period January 1993 to December 2011.

Governors of the Reserve Bank - past and present

Reserve Bank Museum fact sheet. Also available as a PDF (253KB)

Our Coat of Arms - history and symbolism. Also available as a PDF (78KB)

Punatoto carving (PDF 55KB) - history and symbolism.

Otto Niemeyer’s 1931 report on Banking and Currency in New Zealand, (PDF 8MB)
In July 1930 Otto Niemeyer of the Bank of England was asked by the Prime Minister of New Zealand to report on ‘Banking and Currency in New Zealand’. His report, tabled before Parliament in 1931, recommended that New Zealand should establish a central bank. In the appendix to the report, Niemeyer provided a seven page draft Bill to institute the Reserve Bank. The actual Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act was first legislated in 1933, and the Bank came into existence in 1934.