New Zealand Occupations

The first European settlers of New Zealand were individuals who came because of their occupations. They were missionaries, sealers, whalers, merchants, and others. Later, business men arrived to provide services to meet the needs of the new settlements. Records were generated by and for these businesses and their employees. Businesses have come and gone over the years and not all their records have survived, but some have found their way into the collections of archives and libraries in New Zealand and elsewhere. One of the largest collections is held at Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. See New Zealand Archives and Libraries for the address.

The Family History Library collection includes some records of occupations and businesses for New Zealand.

To find what the library has, look in the Family History Library Catalog, Locality section, under:

NEW ZEALAND - OCCUPATIONS

NEW ZEALAND - BUSINESS RECORDS AND COMMERCE

NEW ZEALAND - OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES