Finding a Specific Reference
The advanced search and filter can be used if you have located an archival reference or just a record number.
Step 1: You have a reference.
In academic texts, references to Archives New Zealand will often follow the style of agency, series number, accession number, box number, former archives, position reference, or record number. (View our Definitions on archival terms to find out what these are).
Not every reference will include all these categories. See our citation guide here.
An example of how this looks is AAOM 6043 W3265 2/1A
Step 2: Understand what you are working with
Knowing what these string of letters and numbers mean can be the trickiest bit. By typing AAOM into the free text and filtering by agency, we know this is a record from the Wellington High Court.
A string of four numbers is most likely going to be a series (eg 6043 in this example). When typing in this number in the free text, use the filter button and narrow the search to series. The series for this reference, 6043 will show ‘Wellington Civil Proceedings’. As the filter will not display the series number when searching by series, knowing the name will be useful.
A letter followed by a string of four numbers will be an accession number (eg W3265 in this example). This letter will change depending on the repository the item is held in: W for Wellington, D for Dunedin, CH for Christchurch, and A for Auckland. You won’t need this when searching Collections but it is useful if you reach out to an archivist for help.
There is not a Former Archives in the example above but these are usually a combination of letters and numbers, such as MA1 for Māori Affairs, PWD000 for Public Works Department, WA73 for War Archives, and BDM20 for Intention to marriage registers.
Step 3: Find a record number
This leaves 2/1A. This might take a couple of searches to know what these may refer to. In this case 2 is the box number and 1A is the record number.
Looking at the record hierarchy accordion on a series tab and looking at a listed record can help understand how things are listed within that series:
Note that sometimes this field is empty, in this case, please reach out through the Ask an Archivist form.
Using a combination of the advanced search and filter.
Looking for a specific record can be at the very least narrowed down significantly using the Advanced search and filter.
By adding a condition in the advanced search, you are able to search by more than one field, including Former Archives or Record Number. The filter can be used to limit your search to the relevant repository or series name. This can also be used with the free text if you are familiar with the title of what you are looking for.
Tip: Adding quotation marks around the record number will look for the exact order of what you have searched. An asterisk is useful if you are unsure if there are spaces
Tip: The advanced search is case sensitive
Tip: Record numbers that are referenced as 57/259 could be a shortened date so try 1857/259
Sub items and Former Archives
Sub items are records that are collated in one item. Often times the top record, or parent item, will need to be ordered.
For example, this is common in the IA1 series:
To find the parent item of 1873/167, Former Archives IA1, we can note in the additional description “With: 1873/3388”.
In the advanced search, under the first condition use:
Former Archives Reference in the field name equals IA1 in the field value
Add the condition Record number equals 1873/3388 in the field value
This search should give the parent record, which is what can be ordered in the reading room.