New Zealand Directories

Online Resources

 * 1896-1897 New Zealand PO Directory 1896-97 (Wise) at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Background
Directories are alphabetical lists of names and addresses. These often list all the adult residents or tradesmen of cities or areas. In the twentieth century there are directories of households and businesses having telephones.

The most helpful directories for genealogical research purposes are city directories of local residents and businesses. These are generally published annually and may include an individual's name, address, occupation, and other helpful facts. An individual's address can be very helpful when searching in a large city with several religious denominations or parish churches. Directories sometimes have city maps and may include addresses of churches, cemeteries, civil registration offices, and other locations of interest to the genealogist.

A major collection of directories at the Family History Library, covering the years 1880-1899, 1906, 1918,1940, is:

Wise &amp; Co’s New Zealand Directory. Auckland, New Zealand: Bab Microfilming, 1989. (Family History Library .)

Other directories date from as early as 1872 up to the present. These are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

NEW ZEALAND - ALMANACS

NEW ZEALAND - DIRECTORIES

NEW ZEALAND - [TOWN] - ALMANACS

NEW ZEALAND - [TOWN] - DIRECTORIES

Some directories list only certain types of tradesmen or businesses. These are found in the FamilySearch Catalog, Place Search, under:

NEW ZEALAND - [TOWN] - DIRECTORIES

NEW ZEALAND - [TOWN] - OCCUPATIONS

There are also special directories that can help you locate church dioceses and parishes. See New Zealand Church Directories.