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 FamilySearch Library may have microfilmed and/or digitized copies of them.
 * Directory of Community Archives gives links to archives, libraries, and museums throughout New Zealand. Incomplete listing.

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

National Archives
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:
 * Directory of Community Archives gives links to archives, libraries, and museums throughout New Zealand. Incomplete listing.

Auckland City Archives Auckland Central City Library 44-46 Lorne Street Auckland Central 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

Go to Research North Go to Research West Go to Research South/East

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 Website

Directory of Community Archives
Use this directory to find websites and contact information for organizations and institutions across New Zealand who hold archival information about local communities. These include organizations such as: schools, local councils, religious institutions and historical societies. You can either find community archives by location using the map feature or use a search bar.
 * Directory of Community Archives

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.
 * 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.  (FamilySearch Library .)

- Anglican
 * Anglican Diocese of Auckland Archives
 * Anglican Diocese of Christchurch Archives
 * Anglican Diocese of Dunedin Archives See The Hocken Collection.
 * John Kinder Theological Library

Catholic
 * Auckland Catholic Diocese of Auckland Pompallier Heritage Centre and Archives at 30 New St, St Mary’s Bay, Auckland 1011, New Zealand - genealogical research is only permitted for records taken before 1900
 * Christchurch Catholic Diocese of Christchurch Archives at 2/9 Washington Way, Sydenham, Christchurch City 8011

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 Website

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 Website

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 Website

Salvation Army Heritage Centre and Archives Mailing address: PO Box 40542, Upper Hutt, 5140 Trentham, New Zealand Phone: +64 4 528 8628 Email: archives@salvationarmy.org.nz Website

NZ Jewish Archives 80 Webb St. Wellington New Zealand Phone: 64-4-384-5081 Fax 64-4-478-9061 Website

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 Central City Library 44-46 Lorne Street Auckland Central Auckland, New Zealand
 * Directory of Community Archives gives links to archives, libraries, and museums throughout New Zealand (incomplete listing).

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

Go to Research North Go to Research West Go to Research South/East

Christchurch City Libraries Find Us links to all the public libraries in Christchurch. Physical address, mailing address, phone numbers, e-mail are given for each location.

Dunedin City Library 230 Moray Place Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand

Mailing address: PO Box 5542, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand Telephone: 03 474-3690 Website

University Libraries
Hocken Collection University of Otago Library University of Otago 65 Albany Street PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

Telephone: 64 3 479 8910 Fax: 64 3 479 8947 Email:ask.library@otago.ac.nz Website
 * The Hocken Library has a large collection of archival publications, and pictorial material pertaining to the Otago and Southland areas of the South Island.

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] Website Search Our Collections

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 Website Index of Maori Names Green Guide to New Zealand History Resources
 * This library has an extensive collection of new Zealand biographies.

Museums
- Auckland Museum and War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira Domain Drive Auckland, New Zealand
 * Directory of Community Archives gives links to archives, libraries, and museums throughout New Zealand. Incomplete listing.

Mailing address: Private Bag 92-018, Auckland, New Zealand Telephone: (64-9) 309-0443 Fax: (64-9) 379-9956 Email: info@aucklandmuseum.com - New Zealand National Maritime Museum Hobson Wharf Auckland, New Zealand
 * War Memorial Museum Website
 * New Zealand Maritime Index

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

Website

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

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

Telephone: 64 6 387 6911 Fax 64 6 387 6319 Website
 * Army Records for New Zealand, the different Expeditionary Force histories, current displays on line.

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.