Swanndri jacket worn by Cumberland while presenting the Landmarks television series., 1980s

This collection includes personal memorabilia, papers relating to Cumberland's tertiary studies, correspondence and papers relating to Cumberland's role as Professor of Geography at the University of Auckland, his publishing activities, time in public office, speaking engagements and farming and business activities. The collection also includes travel ephemera and journals, clipping files, photographs and realia.

A substantial part of the collection relates to the production of the iconic television documentary series Landmarks, written and presented by Cumberland in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

While the collection perhaps lacks the research material one might expect in an academic's papers this may reflect Cumberland's own view of his achievements expressed in his CV that: Perhaps more important, in one sense than academic or scientific publications, have been a succession of public addressed, radio talks and commentaries, T.V. programmes, newspaper articles and reports to local bodies, etc...They have often contributed to the promotion of geography, of the geographical point of view and to the objective approach to the analysis and solution of public issues. (Item 9/3).

Much of the material in this collection was used by Cumberland during the writing of his autobiography, Milestones and Landmarks.