New Zealand Project Research Resources

Surname/tag: New_Zealand

New Zealand Project > New Zealand Project Research Resources

Here is a collection of free resources to help you find information on your Ancestors.

Births Marriages & Deaths

• https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/ This free collection from the Department of Internal Affairs includes Births, Deaths, and Marriages
• https://wilsoncollection.co.nz/ This free collection coordinated by Diane Wilson over the past 40 years includes records from many and varied sources to assist with your research.

Newspapers

• https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Papers Past delivers digitised full-text New Zealand and Pacific newspapers, magazines and journals, books, and other formats.

Other

• https://digitalnz.org/ Search 30+ million New Zealand items across 300+ collections in one place. Easy
• http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ Archives New Zealand hold records created by New Zealand Government agencies since 1840, there are approximately 6 million viewable records.
• teara.govt.nz
• https://nzhistory.govt.nz/hands/links-genealogy/genealogy-links
• (FamilySearch.org requires a free account to access.

Also see Genealogy_Resources

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New Zealand History and Genealogy Resources

All of these resources are free and online.

• New Zealand Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records

• The Wilson Collection - a free, searchable index of names which gives hints to other sources, compiled by Diane Wilson. It includes early settlers, burial and cremation records, WW1, some electoral rolls, marriage records.

• Papers Past Searchable newspapers, magazines and journals, letters and diaries and parliamentary papers from the National Library of New Zealand. From Aug 2019, the New Zealand Police Gazette (1877-1945), Canterbury Police Gazette (1863-1877) and Otago Police Gazette (1861-1877) are available. The Police Gazettes are found under Magazines and Journals and are searchable.

• Archives New Zealand Records from NZ government agencies, usually descriptive information only; although there is on-line access to digital versions of historic WW1 military personnel files, some probate files and early divorce files. There is information to find coroners' inquests which may be found here at Family Search. Following the re-organisation of Archives New Zealand in 2021, some links on WikiTree may not work or may have been replaced with the Archives New Zealand template with the R part being the "Code" each document is allocated.

• DIGITALNZ Ā-TIHI O AOTEAROA Reliable digital collections from content partners, including: libraries, museums, galleries, government departments, the media and community groups. On DigitalNZ there are more than 30 million digital items from more than 200 organisations on any topic including videos, newspapers, maps, photographs, audio recordings, artworks and news reports.

• AtoJs Online: About the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives This is a fantastic resource for government reports of New Zealand through the National Library of New Zealand online. The essay lists all records included, and the digitized records online are available in both searchable online and downloadable pdf format.

• FamilySearch is useful for civil registrations spelling variations of names are shown. There may be indexed passenger lists of early voyages to New Zealand, probate files, and FindAGrave and Billion Graves entries. (This site is free though users must register.)

• Family Search New Zealand Church Records Info re records before 1848.

• Wikipedia New Zealand

• Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph A digital social space where enthusiasts, families, and researchers can share and contribute to the records of those who served for Aotearoa New Zealand. Digitised WW1 military personnel files can be viewed on Archives New Zealand.

• New Zealand War Graves Project

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission

• Intermet.net Cemetery Records Online - New Zealand Cemetery Records

• New Zealand History Websites for family history research.

• Te Ara - The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

• Dictionary of Biography

• National Library of New Zealand including the Alexander Turnbull Library

• New Zealand Electronic Text Collection - Te Pūhikotuhi o Aotearoa, part of Victoria University of Wellington Library New Zealand history ephemera. A large number of old books, encyclopaedias, journals etc. have been digitised and are searchable.

• New Zealand in history The history of New Zealand : a brief overview of the pre-historic, colonial and modern periods.

• Wellington Genealogy Links

• Maori Maori information and customs/traditions. (Currently not operating.)

• Whakapapa Club Maori Genealogy. (Currently not operating.)

• New Zealand Cemetery List & Links Links to many NZ cemeteries. Cemetery records may also be available through FamilySearch.

• New Zealand Disasters & Tragedies 1840-Present. Free databases of all people affected by the disasters and tragedies.

• Early Auckland Births List compiled by Shirley Kendall, free databases.

• New Zealand Yesteryears New Zealand ship passenger lists, ship information, onboard diaries etc.

• Museums - here is a selection of major museums, though there is a museum in many towns and cities. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Otago Museum, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, Nelson Provincial Museum etc.

• Gold Miner's Database Lists miner's rights and types of miner's rights in North Island (Thames, Coromandel) and South Island (Otago, including Gabriel's Gully).

• New Zealand Maritime Index - From here, you can search for vessels, organisations, subjects, and people, mentioned in a number of publications currently being indexed by the New Zealand Maritime Museum.

• Archives Central A searchable database of records from Hawkes Bay and Horizons Regional Councils; Horowhenua, Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, Tararua and Whanganui District Councils and Palmerston North City Council.

• Hutt City Archives, Hutt City Archives

• Presbyterian Research Center The Archive and Library for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. Marriage and Baptism records are currently (July 2023) on an old site Marriages and Baptisms