The New Zealand Army Ordnance Department (NZAOD) was the organisation of commissioned officers who were responsible for the supply, maintenance and repair of equipment, small arms and all stores required for the Defence Force from 1917 to 1923.

[1] Gazetted by regulations published on 1 February 1917, the NZAOD was established as part of the permanent staff of the Defence Forces of New Zealand, replacing the New Zealand Defence Stores Department, absorbing its existing staff and also those handling military equipment and stores in the districts and training camps.

Previously the Defence Stores Department had been under the control of the Public Service Commission.

[2] The Gazetted regulations that established the NZAOD, laid out the organisation of the department, the same Gazette also detailed the establishment of the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, which was a separate organisation made up of Warrant Officers, Non Commissioned Officers, soldiers and civilians.

[5] As the NZEF demobilised, the NZAOD absorbed many officers who had served with the NZEF NZAOC providing much operation experience which became invaluable as both the NZAOD and NZAOC consolidated their position and started to centralise themselves as an organisation in Trentham, Burnham and Auckland.