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.
 * If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one.
 * Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the Family History Library may have printed or microfilmed copies of them.

Archives New Zealand
Archives New Zealand collects government records relating to New Zealand history, culture, and people. Records of genealogical value include:

Archives New Zealand (Head Office)  10 Mulgrave St Wellington New Zealand Postal: PO Box 12050, Wellington, New Zealand Telephone: +64 4 499 5595 Fax: +64 4 495 6210 Email: info@archives.govt.nz
 * Website
 * Research Guides
 * What's been digitized
 * Collection search engine
 * Ask an Archivist

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: Births, Marriages, and Deaths. See New Zealand Civil Registration.
 * 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.

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 95 Richard Pearse Drive Mangere, Manukau. 2022 Auckland, New Zealand Mailing address: PO Box 201103 Auckland Airport, Manukau. 2150, New Zealand Telephone: (64-9) 270-1100 Fax: (64-9) 276 4472 Email: auckland@archives.govt.nz

Archives New Zealand Wellington Head Office and Regional Office 10 Mulgrave St. Thorndon Wellington 6011, New Zealand Mailing address: P.O. Box 12-050, Wellington, New Zealand Phone: (64-4) 499-5595 Fax (64-4) 495-6210 Eamil: reference@archives.govt.nz

Archives New Zealand Christchurch Regional Office 15 Harvard Avenue Wigram, 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

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 Website Family History Archives

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 Website

Wellington City Council Archives 28 Barker Street (off Cambridge Terrace) Wellington, New Zealand Mailing address: PO Box 2199, Wellington, New Zealand Telephone: (64-4) 801-2096 Fax: (64-4) 801-2097 Email: archives@wcc.govt.nz Website Archives online Christchurch City Council Archives 90 Peterborough Street Christchurch, New Zealand

Mailing address: PO Box 237, Christchurch, New Zealand Telephone: (64-3) 377-0760 Website

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

The Community Archive
Formerly known as 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 FamilySearch Library:
 * The Community Archive Online

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

Hewitson Library Knox College Arden Street Opoho Dunedin 9010 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

NZ Jewish Archives 80 Webb St. Wellington New Zealand Phone: 64-4-384-5081 Fax 64-4-478-9061 https://www.nzjewisharchives.org/

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. (Family History Library .)

National Libraries
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.

Alexander Turnbull Library National Library of New Zealand Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets Wellington, New Zealand Mailing address: PO Box 12349, Wellington 6144, New Zealand Telephone: (64-4) 474-3120 Fax: (64-4) 474-3063 Email: atl@natlib.govt.nz Website Family History Guide Catalog, published items Alexander Turnbull Library catalogue of unpublished items.

National Library of New Zealand Corner 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 Website Catalog, published items

Local Libraries
Smaller public libraries may also have family history collections. 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: [mailto:Library_Family_History@aucklandcity.govt.nz Library_Family_History@aucklandcity.govt.nz] Internet: http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/heritage/familyhistory/Pages/familyhistory.aspx

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.) --- Central Auckland Research Centre: http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/heritage/researchcentres/centralaucklandresearchcentre/Pages/centralaucklandresearchcentre.aspx http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/About/locationandhours/Pages/locationandhours.aspx

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/

Dunedin City Library

Moray Place. Dunedin.

Mailing address:

P.O. Box 5045, Moray Place. Dunedin.

Internet: http//dunedinlibraries.com/home

Invercargill City Library Private Bag 90111.

Invercargill

Phone 64-3-2111-444

Internet: www.ilibrary.co.nz

Gisborne Public Library known as

H. P. Williams Memorial Library

Gisborne. North Island

Internet: www.gpl.govt.nz

The Hocken Library has a large collection of archival publications, and pictorial material pertaining to the Otago and Southland areas of the South Island.

Hocken Library University of Otago Corner Anzac Ave and Parry Street Dunedin New Zealand Telephone: (64-3) 479-8868 Fax: (63-3) 479-5078 Email hocken@library.otago.ac.nz Website

Mailing address: Hocken Library PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
 * Published materials online catalogue
 * Manuscripts and archives

Macmillan Brown Library University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand Telephone: (64-3) 364-2753 Email: [mailto:macbrown@libr.canterbury.ac.nz macbrown@libr.canterbury.ac.nz] Internet: http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/mb/

University Libraries
University of Waikato Library Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3240 New Zealand Telephone: (64-7) 838-4466 Fax: (64-7) 838-4899 Email: [mailto:library@waikato.ac.nz 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. Old maps showing old Land Claims for Auckland and Northland. Also maps of Auckland 1847, Auck. South 1859-64

Western Pacific Archives The University of Auckland Library Private Bag 92019 Auckland Mail Centre Auckland 1142 New Zealand Telehone: 373 7599 ext. 88044 Email: [mailto:lending.library@auckland.ac.nz lending.library@auckland.ac.nz] Website: http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/about/speccoll/pr.htm

Stephen Innes Special Collections Librarian General Library / Te Herenga Matauranga Whanui University of Auckland Telephone: (649) 373-7599 ext. 8062 Fax (649) 373-7565 Email: [mailto:s.innes@auckland.ac.nz s.innes@auckland.ac.nz]

Museums
Auckland Museum and War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira 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 War Memorial Museum Website Museum Website

New Zealand National Maritime Museum Hobson Wharf. Auckland.New Zealand

www.nzmaritime.org

New Zealand Ship and Marine Society P.O.Box 5104 Wellington. New Zealand

www.nzshipmarine.com

This Society is into preservation of private and public collections of shipping photographs, models, drawings, literature and other masterial of shipping interest, especially that associated with New Zealand. This site has useful links to other kindred organisations.

Army Museum Waiouru New Zealand Cnr. State Highway 1 &amp; Hassett Drive. Waiouru. New Zealand

phone 64 6 387 6911 Fax 64 6 387 6319 www.armymuseum.co.nz Army Records for New Zealand, the different Expeditionary Force Histories, current displays on line.Individual  Soldier Records up to 1920, are held at Archives New Zealand, Wellington. Post 1920 are held at N. Z. Dept of Defence, Trentham.

http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/default.htm

Record Offices

 * Civil registration records are held by the Department of Internal Affairs: Births, Marriages, and Deaths. See New Zealand Civil Registration.

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 New Zealand Societies.