On 6 February 1978, Phillip Patrick O'Shea was appointed as the first New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary to Queen Elizabeth II.

The appointment was made by royal warrant of the Queen of New Zealand addressed to the Earl Marshal of England.

[1] Since at least 2002 the New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary has been the person appointed by the Governor-General to proclaim the dissolution of Parliament.

[3][4][5][6] At a ceremony held on the steps of Parliament on 11 September 2022, Herald of Arms Extraordinary Phillip O’Shea was the one to read out the proclamation of accession for King Charles III in English.

The badge of office of New Zealand Herald of Arms Extraordinary is blazoned: A complex Māori Koru coloured in the traditional manner proper (white, red ochre and black) ensigned by a representation of the Royal Crown also proper.The badge is intended to represent the heraldic, genealogical and ceremonial roles of the Herald of Arms Extraordinary, as well as their role as a personal officer to the monarch.

Māori genealogy is based for the most part on oral evidence and tradition, and in art the koru is used to represent this.