News | National
20 Feb 2025 7:05
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > National

    Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?

    Meteorites offer vital clues to the mysteries of the universe. But many are being lost to private collectors, potentially creating tension between finders and scientists.

    Anna Marie Brennan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Waikato
    The Conversation


    Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates about legal ownership.

    Globally, meteorite hunting has become a lucrative business, with chunks of alien rock traded online and shipped between countries.

    Meteorites hold the key to the mysteries of the universe, but increasingly, significant scientific finds are being lost to private collectors.

    Last year, New Zealand formally recorded an apple-sized meteorite weighing 810g. It fell on Department of Conservation land in the central South Island, near Takapo. Recovered by Jack Weterings, a member of Fireballs Aotearoa (a citizen science group tracking meteorites), the meteorite has reignited discussion about the regulation of such finds.

    The Ellerslie meterorite
    The Ellerslie meterorite crashed through the roof of a Auckland family home in 2004. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    Over the years, several meteorites have been recorded in New Zealand. Most notably, the 1.3kg Ellerslie meteorite crash-landed through the roof of the Archer family home in Auckland on June 12, 2004.

    Bouncing off the sofa and eventually settling in the middle of the living room floor, the meteorite caused an international stir, with several individuals worldwide offering to purchase it.

    The Archers, a retired couple, refused these offers, opting instead to sell it to the Auckland War Memorial Museum for public display.

    The Takapo meteorite spent much of 2024 being pored over by geologists at the University of Otago. But the question of rightful ownership remains open because it was found on public land.

    How New Zealand law deals with meteorites

    Despite their interstellar origins, ownership of meteorites is determined by the law of the country where they are found. Approaches vary from country to country. Some allow private meteorite ownership while others require mandatory state ownership with no compensation of any kind.

    New Zealand – along with Canada, France, the US and the UK – has adopted an approach that depends on where the meteorite crashes. If it lands on private property, the land owner is the rightful legal owner of the space rock.

    With meteorites found on public property, as was the case with the Takapo meteorite, the “finders keepers” approach prevails and Fireballs Aotearoa, thanks to Jack Weterings, is the legal owner.

    While the organisation professes to “have no commercial interest in meteorites” and pledges to donate all to museums, not all meteorite hunters are so willing to donate the spoils of their discoveries.

    Commercial meteorite hunting appears to be on the rise internationally, especially in China, where it is a lucrative source of income. Some meteorites can fetch millions online. With collectors reportedly including Elon Musk, Steven Spielberg, Nicholas Cage and Uri Geller, the hobby is now seen as glamorous. The world’s fascination with the ultimate antique is expected to grow.

    Trading meteorites

    Several states have stepped in to regulate meteorite hunting within their borders. In New Zealand, the export of movable protected objects, including taonga tuturu (objects with Maori links), is heavily restricted.

    Under the Protected Objects Act 1975, which incorporates both the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the prevention of illicit transfer of ownership of cultural property, and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on stolen cultural objects, permission must be obtained from the chief executive of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage before protected objects can be exported.

    Meteorites are listed as protected objects under the legislation and as a result, the chief executive must consult two expert examiners in determining any export licence application.

    Penalties for illegally exporting or attempting to export meteorites without a licence are hefty. They include automatic confiscation of the item to the Crown, a term of imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to NZ$100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for a body corporate.

    If the export licence application is declined, for whatever reason, there is a right to appeal the decision directly to the minister for arts, culture and heritage. If the minister opts to uphold the decision, or if the applicant decides not to lodge an appeal, the object is automatically listed in the nationally significant objects register.

    While New Zealand has adopted legislative measures to regulate meteorite exports, the relationship between finders and scientists could become increasingly tense. Perhaps meteorite collection should be strongly dissuaded unless it is strictly for scientific purposes? Time will tell whether an easy compromise can be found.

    The Conversation

    Dr Anna Marie Brennan is currently the Borrin Foundation's Women Leader in Law Fellow.

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
    © 2025 TheConversation, NZCity

     Other National News
     20 Feb: Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan sees the Josh Jacomb -Damian McKenzie 10-15 arrangement as a short-term fix, after naming them again in those respective jerseys for tomorrow's Super Rugby match with the Crusaders in Hamilton
     19 Feb: Wellington Phoenix skipper Alex Rufer's pushing to maximise his game time in Saturday's A-League derby against Auckland FC at Mt Smart
     19 Feb: Auckland's mayor asking for the chance to finish the job he's started
     19 Feb: A major boost for the Blues as they look to ignite their Super Rugby title defence against the Highlanders in Dunedin
     19 Feb: Three men are in custody, after trying to force a member of a public to be a getaway driver, in South Auckland
     19 Feb: A suspected gas leak at Otago University - meant hundreds of staff and students were evacuated
     19 Feb: Why is there so much gold in west Africa?
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan sees the Josh Jacomb -Damian McKenzie 10-15 arrangement as a short-term fix, after naming them again in those respective jerseys for tomorrow's Super Rugby match with the Crusaders in Hamilton More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Fonterra has chosen to name its consumer business Mainland Group -- rather than Anchor - as it looks for a buyer, through either a trade sale or an Initial Public Offering More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    'Conclave' and 'The Brutalist' were the big winners at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 6:54

    Entertainment:
    Adrien Brody felt "so grateful" to be named Best Leading Actor at the EE BAFTAs 6:24

    Rugby:
    Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan sees the Josh Jacomb -Damian McKenzie 10-15 arrangement as a short-term fix, after naming them again in those respective jerseys for tomorrow's Super Rugby match with the Crusaders in Hamilton 5:37

    Law and Order:
    A potential sighting of Tom Phillips and his three children in the King Country, wasn't the missing family 4:37

    Soccer:
    Wellington Phoenix skipper Alex Rufer's pushing to maximise his game time in Saturday's A-League derby against Auckland FC at Mt Smart 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Warwick Davis became emotional as dedicated his BAFTA Fellowship Award to his late wife 21:54

    Entertainment:
    David Jonsson "didn't see a space for himself" in the industry before he won the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award 21:24

    Politics:
    Auckland's mayor asking for the chance to finish the job he's started 21:17

    Entertainment:
    'Conclave' was named Outstanding British Film at the EE BAFTAs 20:54

    Entertainment:
    Dame Maggie Smith was remembered at the EE BAFTA Awards on Sunday (16.02.25) evening 20:24


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd