Talk:New Zealand Genealogy

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The FamilySearch Research Wiki is delighted to let you know that the Using the New Zealand article you helped create will become a Featured Article that is highlighted on the Main Page of the Wiki. It will appear July 2, 2012 for seven days. Thank you for your excellent work – you have given readers/researcher important access to records. Your contributions are appreciated and will assist others in finding their ancestors. You have made a difference in research!

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 * New Zealand Society of Genealogists Society members meet regularly in the many NZSG branches throughout New Zealand.
 * New Zealand Maori Interest Group Special Interest Group No.76 of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Inc. An active group throughout New Zealand researching their Māori ancestry or whakapapa.

Libraries, Books and Newspapers


 * National Library of New Zealand
 * Auckland Libraries eResources and databases for researching family history and genealogy available in the Digital Library
 * Christchurch Library Find out what European New Zealand family history resources we hold or can access, what information you are going to find in those resources, and when you need to look elsewhere. Our main focus is Christchurch and Canterbury information from the 19th and early 20th century.
 * Hocken Collection, University of Otago
 * New Zealand ElectronicText Centre Search and browse an open digital library of New Zealand and Pacific Island documentary heritage material as well as new born-digital work and research from Victoria University.
 * Early New Zealand Books Keyword-searchable text of significant books published about New Zealand in the nineteenth century.
 * Early NZ newspapers from the National Library of New Zealand
 * Early NZ newspapers in Te Reo Maori

Society of Genealogy Branch], and they will be able to tell you where they are located. The sovereignty of New Zealand was proclaimed and its courts established by Ordinance in 1841. Court records that may be useful for genealogical research are those of the Supreme Court 1841-1980 (renamed the High Court in 1980), Police Magistrates Courts 1846-1893, Resident Magistrates’ Courts 1893-1980, District Courts 1980-present, and Wardens’ Courts 1858-present. Read more...
 * Did your Ancestors live in Otago/Southland? The Otago Nominal Rolls Index (ONI) up to 1876 is available on line, showing electoral rolls and street directories.
 * New Zealand was a British colony where British soldiers served and sometimes remained following their military service. New Zealand-born soldiers also served in British regiments stationed in New Zealand. The military records contain information on all soldiers who served in the British military.
 * There are School Admission, Progress and Withdrawals up to 1920, available at many New Zealand Libraries, or contact the nearest [http://www.genealogy.org.nz/ NZ

New Zealand lies in the S.W. Pacific Ocean, 2000km east of Australia. New Zealand consists of 2 major Islands - North and South Island, with Stewart Island below the South Island, and the Chatham Islands 500 miles east of Christchurch. New Zealand was first discovered in 1642 by Abel Tasman of Holland, who gave it its name. Captain James Cook claimed New Zealand as a British Colony in 1769. But this was not ratified until 1841 following the Treaty of Waitangi process of 1840. The Polynesian (Maoris) arrived around 1000A.D. The Chatham Islands were originally settled by Moriori people. Mount Cook (Mount Aoraki) is the highest mountain at 12,316ft. (3754metres) high. A wide range of temperatures, from tropical in the north, to dry cold in the south.

When the British colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 its territorial limits were declared to include "all the islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean" and running westward to the 135th meridian east. This included the islands of New Zealand. Some early records relating to New Zealand are to be found in the records of New South Wales, Australia. Before the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901 it was commonplace to talk of the seven British colonies as "Australasia". New Zealand has an "Australasian past—whaling, sealing, missionaries, goldmining, pastoralism" making strong early bonds. It is not uncommon for the threads of family history to criss-cross the Tasman Sea.