The New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research (NZJMFR)began publication at a time of expanding research activity on running freshwaters in many parts of the world. Since then it has provided an avenue for the publication of a wide range of regionally important studies. Subject areas have included taxonomy, biology of various plant and animal groups, water quality, parasitology, limnological methods, and community ecology. Many papers have reported the findings of research implications for conservation and management of aquatic habitats and biota; others have been concerned with the expansion and testing of ecological theory. In this review, the development of three broad themes within the pages of the journal is discussed: (1) water quality, land‐water interactions, and in‐stream communities; (2) habitat requirements of native fishes and invertebrates; and (3) developments in our understanding of stream ecosystem structure and function.