dʒˈɑːk fˈɪlɪps, ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː ɐbˌaʊt hɪz ˈɛdɪɾɚʃˌɪp ʌv ɪts səksˈɛsɚ tˈiː ˈɑːɹɹə: ðɪ ɛnsˌaɪkloʊpˈiːdiə ʌv nˈuː zˈiːlənd, kənsˈɪdɚz ɪɾ æn "ɪlˈʌstɹiəs pɹˈɛdᵻsˌɛsɚ" ænd dᵻskɹˈaɪbz ɪɾ æz
Jock Phillips, writing in 2003 about his editorship of its successor Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, considers it an "illustrious predecessor" and describes it as