New Zealand Archives and Libraries
Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes the major repositories of genealogical and historical records and sources for New Zealand.
If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the organization and ask for information about their collections, hours, services, and fees.
Although the records you need may be in an archive or library in New Zealand, the Family History Library may have copies of them in microform. The library has copies of records from several New Zealand archives, libraries, and other record repositories.
In New Zealand there are several major types of repositories for genealogical records:
- National and department archives
- National library
- City Council archives
- Public, museum, and university libraries
- Church archives
- Genealogical and Historical Societies
Many of these repositories have web sites on the Internet. Some web sites and e-mail addresses are given below along with postal addresses. In addition, some other New Zealand sites of interest can be accessed through the web site for Archives New Zealand. The web site address is given below.
Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga (formerly National Archives)
Archives New Zealand collects government records relating to New Zealand history, culture, and people. Records of genealogical value include:
- Some civil registration records
- Court records
- Education records
- Emigration and immigration records
- Government employee records
- Land records
- Maori genealogies
- Military records
- Mining records
- Naturalization records
- Old age pension records
- Passenger lists
- Probate records
- Reference materials
Archives New Zealand is open to the public. You can search the online catalog at:
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/
Archives New Zealand (Head Office)
| Address: | 10 Mulgrave St Wellington |
| Postal: | PO Box 12050 Wellington |
| Telephone: | +64 4 499 5595 |
| Fax: | +64 4 495 6210 |
| Email: | |
| Website: | |
| Hours: | 9am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, 9am-1pm Saturdays (Exhibitions Only) |
On the home page click on links for other helpful sites.
Regional Offices of Archives New Zealand
There are also regional offices of Archives New Zealand which collect records within the areas they serve. Contact details for regional offices are:
Archives New Zealand
Auckland Regional Office
525 Mt Wellington Highway
Otahuhu
Auckland
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9) 270-1100
Fax: (64-9) 276 4472
Email: auckland@archives.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.archives.govt.nz/about/ourstructure/regionals/auckland.php
Mailing address:
PO Box 91-220
Auckland
New Zealand
Archives New Zealand
Christchurch Regional Office
90 Peterborough Street
Christchurch
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 642
Christchurch
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 377 0760
Fax: (64-3) 365 2662
Email: christchurch@archives.govt.nz
Archives New Zealand
Dunedin Regional Office
556 George Street
Dunedin
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 6183
Dunedin North
Dunedin
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 477 0404
Fax: (64-3) 477 0422
Email: dunedin@archives.govt.nz
Helpful guides to the National Archives collection are:
Family History at National Archives. Wellington: Allen & Unwin/National Archives, 1990, (FHL book 993.1 D27f).
Beyond the Book. Wellington: National Archives, 1994, (FHL book 993.1 D27f Supp. 1994).
'
Department Archives
In addition to Archives New Zealand and its regional offices, some government departments retain custody of the records they generate. Civil registration records are held by the Department of Internal Affairs in the Central Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Wills and probate records from 1990 to the present are held either at the High Courts of the Justice Department or by the Public Trust Office. Land records are held by Land Information New Zealand. The records of the various departments are open to the public. You can read more about these departments and their records under the appropriate record headings on this site.
National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa
The National Library of New Zealand has the largest collection of reference and research materials in the country. It has a rich collection of family history resources. The Alexander Turnbull Library, which is New Zealand's main research Library, is a division of the National Library. Besides published items, the Turnbull Library holds New Zealand's largest collection of private manuscripts and archives.
For advice on researching your family history or whakapapa, go to http://www.natlib.govt.nz/services/get-advice/family-history
''''Alexander Turnbull Library
Cnr Molesworth and Aitken Streets
Wellington
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4) 474-3120
Fax: (64-4) 474-3063
Email: atl@natlib.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.natlib.govt.nz/atl
Mailing address:
Alexander Turnbull Library
PO Box 12349
Wellington 6144
New Zealand
National Library of New Zealand
Cnr Molesworth and Aitken Streets
Thorndon
Wellington
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 1467
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4)474-3000
Fax: 64-4-474-3035
Email: information@natlib.govt.nz
Internet:
http://www.natlib.govt.nz/collections/areas-of-focus/family-history
The catalog of published items for both the National Library and the Alexander Turnbull Library (the latter from 1984) is found at: http://www.natlib.govt.nz/catalogues/library-catalogue
The Alexander Turnbull Library has published its pre-1984 catalog on microfiche. It is available at many academic and public libraries. The Family History Library holds this catalog (FHL fiche 6343237; 793 parts) but it does not circulate to Family History Centers.
The Alexander Turnbull Library's catalog of unpublished items is found at: http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/
An online database of heritage items from the Alexander Turnbull Library, called Timeframes, is also available on the Internet. It contains over 42,000 heritage images, mostly dated pre-1947, and is growing every day. The address is:
http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz/
Other National Library online databases are included under the appropriate records on this site.
City Council Archives
City councils created records in the course of their activities and contain considerable resources for family history.
Contact details for the city council archives of the five largest cities in New Zealand are as follows:
Auckland City Archives
Auckland Public Library
Lorne Street
Auckland
New Zealand
Mailing address:
Private Bag 92516
Wellesley Street
Auckland
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9) 307-7792
E-mail: archives@aucklandcity.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/introduction/archives/using.asp
Hamilton City Archives
Hamilton City Libraries
9 Garden Place
Hamilton
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 933
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-7) 838-6826
Fax: (64-7) 838-6858
Internet: http://www.hamiltonlibraries.co.nz/page/pageid/2145833031
Wellington City Council Archives
28 Barker Street (off Cambridge Terrace)
PO Box 2199
Wellington
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4) 801-2096
Fax: (64-4) 801-2097
Email: archives@wcc.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/archives/history/history.html
Christchurch City Council Archives
90 Peterborough Street
Christchurch
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 237
Christchurch
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 377-0760
Internet: http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Handbook/archives.asp
Dunedin City Council Archives
Civic Centre
50 The Octagon
Dunedin
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 5045
Dunedin
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 474-3553
Fax: (64-3_ 474-3594
Email: archives@dcc.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.cityofdunedin.com/city/?page=archives_about
Public, Museum, and University Libraries
Some sources helpful to family history research are available in major libraries in New Zealand, and smaller public libraries may also have family history collections. Most libraries’ collections are open to the public. The National Library of New Zealand has already been mentioned. Listed below are some major libraries in New Zealand with collections of records valuable to family history research. Contact these libraries and ask about their collections, hours, services, and fees.
Auckland City Libraries
Lorne Street
Auckland
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9) 307-7795
Email: Library_Family_History@aucklandcity.govt.nz
Internet: http://www.aucklandlibrary.co.nz/
Mailing address:
PO Box 4138
Auckland
New Zealand
It has a large collection of records for New Zealand, as well as for other areas of the world. A published guide to their collection is available: Researching Family History in the Collections of Auckland City Libraries. (Auckland: Auckland City Library, 1997.)
Christchurch City Libraries
Cnr Gloucester Street and Oxford Tce
Christchurch
New Zealand
'Mailing address:
'PO Box 1466
Christchurch Mail Centre
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 941-7923
Fax: (64-3) 941-7848
Email: library@ccc.govt.nz
Internet: http://library.christchurch.org.nz/
Auckland Institute and Museum Library
Domain Drive
Auckland
New Zealand
Mailing address:
Private Bag 92-018
Auckland
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9) 309-0443
Fax: (64-9) 379-9956
Email: info@aucklandmuseum.com
Internet: http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=200
Hocken Library
University of Otago
Cnr Anzac Ave and Parry Street
Dunedin
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 479-8868
Fax: (63-3) 479-5078
Email hocken@library.otago.ac.nz
Internet: http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/hocken/index.html
Mailing address:
Hocken Library
PO Box 56
Dunedin
New Zealand
The Hocken Library has a large collection of archival material pertaining to the Otago and Southland areas of the South Island.
The online catalog for published materials is at: http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/hocken/cata.html#published
For manuscripts and archives go to: http://hakena.otago.ac.nz/nreq/Welcome.html
Macmillan Brown Library
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 364-2753
Email: macbrown@libr.canterbury.ac.nz
Internet: http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/mb/
University of Waikato Library
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-7) 838-4466
Fax: (64-7) 838-4899
Email: library@waikato.ac.nz
Internet: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/resources/nzc/
This library has an extensive collection of new Zealand biographies.
Internet: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/resources/nzc/biography.shtml
University of Auckland Library
Private Bag 92-019
Auckland Mail Centre 1142
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9) 373-7599
Internet: http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/
It has a large microfilmed collection of Maori Land Court minute books and other material pertaining to Maori studies.
Church and Religious Archives
Many church records of New Zealand are in the custody of the minister or priest of the parish or congregation which created the records. Some early records are in church or religious archives. The Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian faiths, as well as the Salvation Army, all have archives, and some have more than one. The Anglican church, for instance, has six diocesan archives. Listed below is one main archive for each of the major religious organizations. The staff at these archives will be able to direct you to the specific archive that holds records for your congregation of interest. It is possible to write to these archives and request brief searches of their records. Keep written requests simple and include a self-addressed envelope and a small contribution for expenses and postage.
Anglican
Provincial Archives-St John’s Theological College
202 St John’s Road
Auckland 5
New Zealand
Internet: http://www.anglican.org.nz/Resources/Archives1.htm
Catholic
Archdiocese of Wellington Archives
22-30 Hill Street
Wellington
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 198
Wellington
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4) 496-1777
Internet: http://www.catholic.org.nz/
Methodist
Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives
Morley House
Latimer Square
Christchurch
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 931
Christchurch 8015
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 366-6049
Fax: (64-3) 364-9439
Email: archives@methodist.org.nz
Internet: http://www.methodist.org.nz/index.cfm/home
Baptist
New Zealand Baptist Historical Society
Carey Baptist College
473 Great South Road
Penrose
Auckland
New Zealand
Mailing address:
PO Box 12-149
Penrose
Auckland
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-9)525-4017
Fax: (64-9) 525-4096
Email: enquiries@carey.ac.nz
Internet: http://www.carey.ac.nz/The_College/Pages/Contact_Us/
Presbyterian
Knox College Library
Arden Street
Opoho
Dunedin 9001
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-3) 473-0107
Fax: (64-3) 473-8466
Email: pcanzarchives@knoxcollege.ac.nz
Internet: http://www.archives.presbyterian.org.nz/
Salvation Army Archives
Salvation Army
PO Box 6015
Wellington
New Zealand
Telephone: (64-4) 382-0732
Fax: (64-4) 802-6259
Email: archives@nzf.salvationarmy.org
Internet: http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/SITE_Default/SITE_special_services/archives.asp
For a complete list of all church and religious archives in New Zealand with their addresses, see:
Bromell, Anne. Tracing Family History in New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Godwit Publishing Ltd., 1996. (FHL book 993.1 D27ba 1996.)
Historical and Genealogical Societies
In New Zealand, there are several organized historical and genealogical societies. Many societies maintain libraries and/or archives that collect valuable records. For more information, including addresses of the societies, see the “Societies” section of this outline.
National Register of Archives and Manuscripts (NRAM)
NRAM is a register for manuscripts and archives held in many New Zealand repositories. Manuscripts in the custody of some smaller libraries are not included. First completed in 1979, the register is updated periodically and is indexed. It is available at several of the large repositories in New Zealand as well as the Family History Library (FHL book 993.1 A3nr 1979 ed.; 2 vols. in 6 parts).
NRAM is searchable online at: http://www.nram.org.nz/about.php