A brief reminder of the varied origins of the people of New Zealand serves to situate the nature and scope of the cultural heritage; ethnobotanical and ethnobiological treasures come first for review, followed by the Maori productions, and the European heritage and their respective systems of ownership. Conservation as a scientific discipline is a recent development made urgently necessary by the obvious deterioration of the material cultural property. A series of efforts and accomplishments to date are described; they include improvements in training, significant exhibitions, and the establishment of the Cultural Conservation Advisory Council to the Minister of Internal Affairs, whose responsibilities are outlined.