Legacy Map Viewer

On this page you can explore the soil maps produced by NZ Soil Bureau and predecessors between 1932 and 1989.

Please note:

  • Click here for some basic instructions, if needed.
  • For up-to-date soils information, visit our S-map Online service. This viewer displays legacy maps only. They depict projections, units or soil classifications which may no longer be in use, rendering the soils information imprecise, or outdated.
  • The selection is limited to 'reference' soil maps, and includes Land Inventory Survey (LIS) maps published by Lands and Survey Department, and National Resource Survey (NRS) maps published by the Ministry of Works.
  • Accompanying publication(s) may be required for correct understanding and interpretation of the maps. Where available, these are provided through the ‘Link’ fields in the metadata dialogue and can be retrieved through the MWLR Library.
  • The viewer is designed to run on most modern browsers except Safari.