While events are still unfolding, Wellington City Archives is creating a timeline and resource collection showing how the Council has responded to the impact of the pandemic in New Zealand.
The timeline is interactive, and is a living document, continually being added to.
View the timeline here, and the list of resources here.
So why are we documenting a current event in Archives Online?
Local authorities play a significant part in the lives of people, as a provider of critical services.
Councils also work with their communities to serve the needs of people currently living in those communities, and those who will live there in the future.
Given this connection and the impact on residents' lives, how the Council reacts, when, and what it does, are significant to the wellbeing of Wellington’s residents and businesses.
A screenshot of the interactive timeline.
As well as being at the centre of public consciousness, significant events such as this highlight the importance of Archives in keeping a record of events for future reference.
The content has high informational and historical value, documenting in some detail the response the Council made and the decision-making processes behind that response.
It also has cultural significance, as it is of relevance to the Wellington community, reflecting how we have responded but also, in the longer term, how we may change or adapt as a response.
The timeline is a living document.
Although the pandemic may seem unprecedented, this is not the first time Wellington has responded to an international health emergency.
In 1918, during the worldwide influenza pandemic, the Wellington City Council was advising citizens on how to keep themselves and others safe.
Read about the influenza pandemic response here.
You can find the Covid-19 response timeline here: https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/804498