Editing Department of Internal Affairs (section)

===20th century===
Over the twentieth century the department's functions would include cultural affairs, civil defence, a translation service, conservation, tourism, sport and recreation, support for ethnic communities, and support services for government ministers.<ref name="History" /> Several new government departments have been formed by establishing new agencies around former Internal Affairs services. The electoral office moved to the [[Ministry of Justice (New Zealand)|Department of Justice]] in 1950 before becoming an independent [[Electoral Commission (New Zealand)|Electoral Commission]] in 2010. The [[Department of Industries and Commerce]] took over the statistics function in 1931;<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About Internal Affairs - Department structure - Timeline - dia.govt.nz |url=https://www.dia.govt.nz/About-Internal-Affairs---Department-structure---Timeline |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=www.dia.govt.nz}}</ref>  an independent [[Statistics New Zealand|Department of Statistics]] was created in 1957. The [[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation]] was established in 1987 by merging the department's [[New Zealand Wildlife Service|wildlife service]] with other similar entities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Salmon |first=Guy |date=May 2013 |title=Background and history of development of the conservation estate in New Zealand |url=https://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/pdfs/Background-and-history-of-development-of-the-conservation-estate-in-New-Zealand.pdf |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment}}</ref>

The [[National Library of New Zealand]] and [[Archives New Zealand]] were separated from the department in the late 1990s but merged back in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=beehive.govt.nz - State sector changes to improve performance |url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/state-sector-changes-improve-performance |access-date=25 November 2014 |publisher=Beehive.govt.nz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Underpinning democracy: the future of Archives New Zealand   : Press release |url=http://www.aranz.org.nz/includes/download.aspx?ID=107780 |access-date=25 November 2014 |publisher=Aranz.org.nz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Guy, Nathan |title=Minister welcomes State Sector legislation (press release) |url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minister-welcomes-state-sector-legislation |access-date=30 May 2014 |work=beehive.govt.nz |publisher=New Zealand Government}}</ref> A standalone Ministry of Cultural Affairs (now the [[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]], which in the present day also has responsibility for the sport and recreation portfolio) was established in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Government involvement in culture {{!}} Ministry for Culture and Heritage |url=https://mch.govt.nz/about-ministry/overview/history-government-involvement-culture |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=mch.govt.nz}}</ref> The department briefly held responsibility for tourism from 1998 until 2000, when this was combined with other former [[Ministry of Commerce (New Zealand)|Ministry of Commerce]] functions in the new [[Ministry of Economic Development (New Zealand)|Ministry of Economic Development]], now the [[Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=From DIA to MED – a change of home for the Office of Tourism and Sport |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dia-med-%E2%80%93-change-home-office-tourism-and-sport |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=The Beehive |language=en}}</ref>