Ngā aratohu rangahau

Research guides

War records

Military and personnel files from home and abroad, unit diaries, Defence department archives, and maps and plans

• World War 1 1914-1918 ⟩
• World War 2 1939-1945 ⟩
• Other wars ⟩
• Finding Māori in the New Zealand Wars ⟩

Identity

Personal identity information including marriages, probates and coroners’ inquests

• Probate files – Christchurch ⟩
• Life events ⟩
• Searching digitised probates ⟩
• Whakapapa search tips ⟩
• Divorce records – Auckland ⟩
• Probate files – Auckland ⟩
• Death Duty Registers – Auckland ⟩
• Family history – Dunedin ⟩

Citizenship and migration

How to search the archives for migration and shipping information like passenger lists, naturalisation and citizenship files, and refugee and immigrant information

• Citizenship ⟩
• Migration ⟩
• Searching passenger lists ⟩

Māori

Te ao Māori research guides, including how to research your whakapapa and find information about land blocks

• Whakapapa search tips ⟩
• Whenua and Māori Land ⟩
• Māori Land Court ⟩
• Finding Māori in the New Zealand Wars ⟩

Land

Deeds and crown grants, maps and plans, Māori Land Court Minute Books and Sāmoan land and titles

• Searching land records ⟩
• Whenua and Māori Land ⟩
• Māori Land Court ⟩
• Searching Sāmoan land records ⟩
• Land sale maps ⟩
• State house plans ⟩
• How to find public works plans ⟩
• Understanding the Deeds Indexes ⟩
• Otago and Southland land records ⟩
• Land glossary - Dunedin ⟩
• Auckland Land District deeds records ⟩

Education

Student and teacher records from education boards, schools, universities and more

Health

Health and mental health patient files, admission registers and other hospital and asylum archives

• Mental health records ⟩
• Finding Seacliff records ⟩
• Health records - Christchurch ⟩

Welfare

Child and adult welfare information, adoptions, maintenance, pensions, benefits and charitable aid

• Child welfare ⟩
• General and adult welfare ⟩
• Charitable aid and welfare records — Christchurch ⟩

Law and the Courts

In Wellington we hold court records from the late 19th century until the early 2000s for the upper South and lower North Islands. We also hold a sample collection of court calendars from 1921 to 1936 which include other parts of the country.

• Civil cases and plaints ⟩
• Miscellaneous/Agency cases ⟩
• Criminal cases ⟩
• Māori Land Court ⟩

Employment

Find out information on work, trades and training, companies, patents, bankruptcy, private employment, government employment and the public service

Photography and art

Information about the major collections of photographs and artworks that we hold

• Photography ⟩
• Art ⟩

Audiovisual collections

Access and order film from our extensive collections

• National Film Unit Collection ⟩

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade historical records

This guide will help you navigate the thousands of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s historical records held here at Archives New Zealand.

Women's Suffrage petition biography guide

In 1893 Aotearoa NZ became the first country in the world in which all women gained the right to vote in general elections—thanks to the women who created, organised and signed the Women’s Suffrage Petition. Now we need your help to tell their stories