New Zealand’s Icon

Silver ferns may adorn our sporting heroes’ uniforms, but when they’re representing their country it’s as proud Kiwis.

Kiwi are a natural fit with New Zealanders’ national psyche – we relate to their quirkiness, evolved over millions of years of isolation from mammals.

As a symbol for a people, kiwi transcend age, gender, race and creed.

Spit and polish

One story about how New Zealanders became Kiwis has its roots in shoe polish.

In the early 1900s, a Scottish-born inventor living in Melbourne developed a boot polish that didn’t just shine shoes, it also preserved, waterproofed and softened the leather. He called it Kiwi polish, in honour of the country his wife called home – before her marriage, Miss Annie Meek hailed from Oamaru.

During World War I, the polish proved so good it was adopted by the British and American armies, and it wasn’t long before New Zealand soldiers were no longer called Fernlanders, Maorilanders or En Zedders, and were called Kiwis instead, a moniker that quickly transferred to New Zealanders in general.

Where to See Kiwi

Seeing a live kiwi is a thrill. Here are some places that offer the opportunity.

Bank with BNZ

With your support, the BNZ, its staff and customers have contributed more than NZ$7 million towards saving kiwi.

Habitat Protection

Protecting places kiwi live is very important.

To access your account please login below. To join the BNZ Save the Kiwi community click Register.

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Did You Know?

Just how kiwi got to New Zealand remains a mystery. Were they already around when New Zealand broke away from Antarctica and Australia millions of years ago? Did they walk here, using long-gone islands as stepping-stones? Or could they once fly?