Ngā Hekenga

Migration

Content warning

Archives can contain sensitive content that may be distressing. Some items may depict or describe injuries, disease and deaths. Take care when accessing them.

All New Zealanders have either migrated to this country or are the descendants of people who migrated in the past.

Māori origins are traced through whakapapa. Read our guide on whakapapa search tips.

Read our guide to finding immigration records if you’re looking for:

• your immigration into Aotearoa New Zealand

• a relative's immigration

• your residency status.

Some records may not be available because of preservation or restriction reasons. You may have to visit our reading rooms to access the files you are researching as there is no inter-loan option between reading rooms.

Some series have gaps and are not well organised.

Most physical items are held at our Wellington archive. Learn more about accessing physical items in the Browse the archives section of this guide.

To protect personal privacy, access restrictions apply to some records.

This includes over 200,000 immigration case files held at our Wellington archives which are restricted for 100 years from date of closure [ABKF 6794].

Some reading rooms have files and registers that are over 100 years old but still restricted.

If your requested record is restricted, contact us to find out why and how to view them.

Requesting access to restricted records

This is how you can request access to restricted records.

Contact us — Contact us and we will provide you contact details to the relevant government agency.

Contact them — Contact the agency and ask for permission to access the records. Include your full name, contact details, reason to view the record and your intention to publish your research or not.

Access the record — When you have obtained written permission, there are 2 ways to access the record:

• the agency will organise your access to the record, or

• you’ll be advised by the agency to contact us again with your permission letter, and we’ll enable access to the record.

Open-access records that have been digitised can be found on Collections search.

If you want to see a restricted digitised record, you’ll need to request permission to access it.

For more information, contact us.

What you can find

Formal Pākehā migration recordkeeping began with the New Zealand Company settlement from 1840, and the establishment of the British government after the Treaty of Waitangi in the same year.

There are varied categories of migration records such as:

• shipping papers, ship indexes and passenger lists

• emigration registers

• promissory notes and bills for assisted passages.

When you use our research guidance, you might find a string of letters and numbers — for example ACHU 19327 — next to a title. These are our archival codes or references.

You can search the letters or numbers separately on Collections search. They can also be useful if you visit our reading rooms or contact us to access a record, as they help our archivists find records quickly.

The numbers and letters in the codes can represent the record’s:

• agency code

• series number or accession number

• record number

• R-number.

For help with searching — including how to use advanced searching and filtering — read our tips on how to use Collections search or ask an archivist for advice.

For more information on referencing the archives, check out the Copying and citing archives page.

Glossary and terminology

To familiarise yourself with the records terminology, check out our Definitions of archival terms guide.

To help your research, this list explains some migrant-related terms used on this page.

• Draft — a list of passengers or group of people from air or ship travel.

• Fencibles — a migration scheme (1847 to 1853) bringing retired British soldiers to NZ. The soldiers, who had served in the Royal New Zealand Fencibles, were also known as Chelsea pensioners because they received British pensions.

• Nominal roll — a list of people serving in a military unit.

• Nominated immigrant — a migrant whose name was submitted by relatives already living in NZ.

• Parkhurst Boys — a migration scheme (1842 to 1843) bringing teenage male prisoners from Parkhurst Prison to New Zealand for their rehabilitation.

You can find most migration records on Collections search.

We’ve included links throughout this guide that will take you directly to the item or series on Collections search. Scroll to the bottom of that page and click on ‘Record hierarchy’ for individual R-numbers (item codes). These are useful for ordering items to view at the relevant reading room.

You might not be able to access everything online. Many records have been digitised, but if they aren’t, you’ll need to visit the reading room they’re held in to access them.

Search different spellings of surnames as these were often spelled how they sounded to the clerk.

If you still can’t find what you are looking for, contact us.

Ship records include shipping papers, ship indexes and passenger lists.

Ship indexes

• The Comber List or Index — entries, in chronological order of departure date, for most immigrant ships that arrived in New Zealand from Britain 1839 to 1889 (the original Comber List is held at Wellington Museum) [ACHU 19327].

• The Watt Index to the New Zealand section of the register of all British ships 1840 to 1950. This does not include many ships carrying immigrants because these were registered in Britain [ACHU 19328].

Passenger lists

• All ship records with passenger lists held in our Wellington archives have been digitised and are available on the FamilySearch website under New Zealand Immigration Passenger Lists. The physical files can be viewed in Wellington [ADBO 16135].

• Our Auckland archive holds ship lists of inwards passengers to Auckland for 1909 and from 1915 to 1965 [BBAO 5552].

Card indexes

Our Wellington archive holds the following card indexes.

• An alphabetical card index of immigrant ships to New Zealand 1840 to 1880s. Most ships recorded came from Britain and Australia. Cards usually note arrival dates and give references to passenger lists.

• An alphabetical card index of immigrant ships to the Port of Wellington 1856 to 1887.

• General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s — an alphabetical card index listing passengers from various ship records with surname, initial, gender, ship name or other information.

• Assisted Immigration Scheme Index 1871 to 1888.

• Canterbury Provincial assisted immigrants index.

New Zealand Company 1839 to 1850

• Passenger names from the New Zealand Company immigration scheme can be found in our Wellington archive’s General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• Emigration registers — August 1839 to April 1841, April 1841 to October 1842, November 1842 to July 1850 [AAYS 8982].

Canterbury Association 1850 to 1852

Our Christchurch archive has Canterbury Association shipping papers (including passenger lists, surgeons’ reports, and more) for 22 voyages into Lyttelton 1850 to 1852.

The items are digitised and available in [AEQM 19645]. The listings are indexed by ship name.

Provincial schemes 1853 to 1884

From 1853 provincial governments subsidised passage to encourage immigration. Some specific groups of migrants were targeted, such as young unmarried women or families.

Otago Provincial Government

• Lists of immigrant debtors to the Provincial Government of Otago for passage monies (fares) 1848 to 1872 [ACHU 19316].

Auckland Provincial Government

• A register of applications for passages 1859 to 1872 [ACFM 8187 3 R22010677] is held at our Auckland archive.

• A reproduction is also available at our Wellington archive [REPRO 1615].

Canterbury Provincial Government

• Shipping papers relating to 11 provincial scheme voyages 1859 to 1871 [CBCM 19646 are held in our Christchurch archive. The listings are indexed by ship name.

• Correspondence relating to immigration [CBCM 19936] and [CBCM 28231 — digitised] are also held in Christchurch. The items in these series are listed by subject matter and names. Relevant keywords include passage, barracks and the names of ships. First names are not always included in the correspondence, searching with a first initial and surname or a surname only may bring up more search results.

• Canterbury passenger lists 1855 to 1884 [ACFS 8243].

Immigration Department records held in Wellington often appear in record series separated under ports of entry, such as the below.

Blenheim

• Depot master [ACFR 8239]

Christchurch

• Departmental index of inwards letters [ACFS 8240]

• Outward letters [ACFS 8241]

• Lists of immigrants [ACFS 8242]

• Passenger lists [ACFS 8243]

• Promissory notes and bills [ACFS 8244]

• Accounts [ACFS 8245]

Nelson

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — inwards letters [ACFT 8246]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — outwards correspondence [ACFT 8248]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer— papers relating to the despatch of immigrants [ACFT 8249]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — surgeons' journals [ACFT 8250]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — medical journals [ACFT 8251]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — surgeons' requisition books [ACFT 8252]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — passenger lists [ACFT 8253]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — various ships' papers [ACFT 8254]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — cash books [ACFT 8255]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — ledgers [ACFT 8256]

• Secretary to the Immigration Commissioners and Immigration Officer — various account papers [ACFT 8257]

New Plymouth

• Forms for nominating immigrants [ACFU 8260 1 R4085995]

• ‘Halcione’ surgeon’s requisition book [ACFU 8261]

• Agreements between employers and immigrants [ACFU 8262]

Wellington

• Outwards letters [ACFV 8263]

• Immigration registers [ACFV 8264]

• Promissory notes and bills [ACFV 8265]

• Cash books [ACFV 8266]

British authorities pardoned 123 ‘boys’ (males in their late teens) from Parkhurst Prison on condition they left England for New Zealand. Some were also required to serve apprenticeships. The aim was their rehabilitation and the British Treasury paid their passage on the ‘St George’ (92 males in 1842) and the ‘Mandarin’ (31 males in 1843).

• The Parkhurst Boys’ names are listed in our Wellington archive's General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• ‘Guardian of the Parkhurst Boys’ — correspondence and reports can be found in Internal Affairs Department indexes 1843 to 1845 and registers.

• Ship return for the ‘Mandarin’ listing is available online [ACGO 8333 36 1844/2097 R24709024] and in our Wellington reading room.

In response to a request by Governor George Grey in 1846, the British government sent about 750 army pensioners, with their families, in 11 ships to New Zealand between 1847 to 1853.

These retired soldiers, the Royal New Zealand Fencibles, were also known as Chelsea pensioners because their British pensions were administered at Chelsea, London, though paid through the New Zealand Treasury.

• A list of the Fencibles’ names appear in our Wellington archive's General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• Names of recipients of Imperial Pensions appear in our Wellington archive's General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• Treasury Department Registers 1865 to 1891 [ADRK 17399] record pensions paid to all British soldiers (including Fencibles). Entries may include physical descriptions and service details. The first pensions register with deaths or personal information of pensioners pre-1865 is missing.

• Pensions pre-emptive schedules 1853 to 1856, Lands & Survey Department [BAAZ 4708 1 R416075]. This item is held at our Auckland archive.

• Auckland deposition books may include additional details [BAVZ 5989].

See also Waikato Military Settlers.

Under this immigration scheme, central government attempted to bring large numbers of settlers from the British Isles and the Cape Colony, in South Africa, to the North Island. The aim was to consolidate the government position after the wars of the 1860s and develop the Waikato area for Pākehā.

Only 3,000 of the hoped for 20,000 immigrants sailed to New Zealand on 13 ships in 1864 to 1865. About 2,000 came from Britain, and 1,000 from South Africa. This scheme also included government-sponsored settlement in the Coromandel and Whangārei areas.

An alphabetical card index for immigrants’ names is available in our Auckland archive. Our Auckland archive also holds:

• land records for Waikato immigrants c1860 to 1879 [BAAZ 4687] — digitised

• register of immigrants 1864 to 1865, and register of contingent land payments and transfers 1864 to 1876 [BAAZ 1967]

• refunds – Waikato immigrants c1866 to 1877 [BAAZ 4688] — partially digitised.

• register of applications for grants for Waikato immigrants 1867 to 1882 [BAAZ 4689 1 R1158133]

• Waikato immigration applications for Crown grants 1868 to 1877 [BAAZ 4690] — digitised and searchable by applicant name in Collections search.

Our Wellington archive holds microfilm copies of some of the above records for Waikato immigration:

• Micro 5019, 5020, 5021, 5022, 5074.

The Immigration and Public Works Act 1870 provided money to agents in Britain to recruit immigrants including people nominated by those already living in New Zealand [ACFQ 8235]. The Nomination Scheme resulted in the immigration of 31,693 people.

Nomination registers — lists of passage orders

14 registers [ACFQ 8230], numerically list about 8,000 passage orders covering more than 19,000 people.

Information in the registers varies considerably and some are incomplete. The intention was to record:

• number and date of passage order

• name, age and occupation of nominee

• full address of nominee

• name and address of nominator

• disposal (details of the outcome of the nomination) — usually whether or not people came to New Zealand.

Registers

• Canterbury and Timaru 1871 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 1 R18365418]

• Auckland (very small, incomplete register) 1873 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365419]

• Hawkes Bay 1871 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365420]

• Marlborough 1871 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365421]

• Nelson & Hokitika 17 February 1872 to 1874, Greymouth 2 May 1872 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 3 R18365422]

• Otago 1871 to 1874, Oamaru 1872 to 1874, Invercargill 1872 to 1873, Riverton 1872 to 1873 [ACFQ 8230 4 R18365423]

• Taranaki 1872 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365424]

• Invercargill 1873 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365425]

• Riverton 1873 to 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365426]

• Timaru 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365427]

• Otago 1874 [ACFQ 8230 2 R18365428]

• Wellington 1878 to 1880 [ACFQ 8230 5 R18365429]

• Wellington 1881 to 1890 [ACFQ 8230 6 1-1231 R18365430]

• Wellington 1890 to 1891 [ACFQ 8230 2 1232-1273 R18365431]

Our Wellington archive also holds:

• papers relating to cancelled nominations 1873 to 1889 [ACFQ 8223 16 1873/6A-1876/19 R15370015, ACFQ 8223 17 1876/254-1881/377 R15370016, ACFQ 8223 18 1882/142-1889/33 R15370017]

• nominated immigration bills and promissory notes, Canterbury 1871 to 1879 [ACFQ 8231 12 R21387263].

Assisted immigrants were expected to contribute £5 per adult (from 12 years-old) towards the cost of passage to New Zealand: one to 12-year-olds were ‘half adults’, under one year-olds were free. An emigrant who couldn’t pay the total fare signed a promissory note to make repayments beginning 3 months after arriving in New Zealand.

• Promissory notes and bills 1870 to 1885 [ACQF 8223 19 1873/11-1879/1217 R15370018].

• Promissory notes 1873 to 1891 [ACFQ 8223 20 180/254-1891/65 R15370019].

• The Wellington Hospital admissions and discharge book 1847 to 1880 includes additional information between February 1877 to June 1880 of the names of ships people arrived on and their countries of origin [ABRR 6889 1 R2263268].

Under the Immigrants Land Act 1873, anyone paying their own fare to New Zealand expected a grant of Crown land, or other land available under government disposal.

• The register of immigrants 1874 to 1883 (not including lapsed applications) is available online [ACFQ 8237 1 R5013063] or at our Wellington archive [REPRO 1642].

These registers record the names of people who entered New Zealand under 2 short-lived schemes.

• Small Farmers with Capital 1886 to 1888 [ACFQ 8238 1 a R4085697] are listed in the General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• Reduced-fare passengers who arrived under a collaboration between the government and 2 shipping companies, Shaw Savill & Albion and the NZ Shipping Company, 1904 to 1906 [ACFQ 8238 1 b R4085698].

Most immigration records are ship passenger lists which are held in our Wellington archives. Passenger lists were not collected systematically and there are many gaps.

Passenger lists from the Social Security Department were used to validate pensions. Labour Department records include immigration records after 1900, with others under the Customs Department. See also below for records of specific group or nationality migrations.

Passenger lists 1883 to 1973

The passenger lists held in Wellington [ADBO 16135] cover assisted and unassisted immigrants who arrived by ship from 1883 to 1973. The ‘Auckland Inward Passenger Lists (1884 to 1910) from Britain only’ are digitised and freely available on FamilySearch.

If you ‘Browse all images’ on the FamilySearch New Zealand Passenger List webpage, you can search by arrival port. Note: A ship often went to more than one port and a passenger list held under Wellington, for example, may include people who disembarked elsewhere.

Passenger lists card index 1883 to 1915

Our Wellington archive holds an alphabetical card index for passengers on ships that arrived from Britain from 1883 to 1915. It is grouped by ports:

• Auckland

• Wellington

• minor ports — Napier, New Plymouth, Nelson, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and Bluff.

The card indexes do not include crew members or passengers who embarked after the ship had left Britain, such as in Australia.

Immigration case files 1914 to 2007

Over 200,000 files on individuals and families are held at our Wellington archives. All case files are restricted for 100 years from the file-closure date [ABKF 6794].

The Labour Department archives include various records of immigration, particularly of non-

British people [L20 to L30]. There are gaps and some access restrictions to these files:

• record books — permanent entry permits 1921 to 1958 [ACGV 8837]

• record books — applicants for temporary entry 1921 to 1960 [ACGV 8838]

• permit entry slips (alphabetical) 1920s to early 1960s (names only) [ABKF 8012]

• entry permit correspondence 1939 to 1940 [ABKF 8013]

• immigration index c1947 to 1988 (cards, alphabetical) [ABKF 6099]

• various nominal draft rolls c1950 to 1981, air and sea [ABKF 947]

• immigration drafts — air 1966 to 1972, sea 1970 to 1975 [ABKF 947]

• permanent entry registers 1976 to 1989 [ABKF 8011].

• assisted migrants whose cards and files have been destroyed — (up to Draft 110) [ABKF 8004]

• registered case files of temporary-entry immigrants [ACGV 8832] — permission required

• index to the registered case files of temporary-entry immigrants [ACGV 8833 1 R10258334].

There are various records from the Christchurch District Office of the Department of Labour, Immigration Division [CH6] and [CH551]. Please note these records have an access restriction for privacy reasons. They become open access 100 years after the certificate holder’s birth, or 60 years after their death.

Similar records from the Customs Department Greymouth cover applications for residency permits, certificates of registration and naturalisation [R16953792] and [R16953793], indexed by applicant names.

The following records are all held in our Christchurch archive.

• Nominal index to subsidy scheme for immigration from Britain 1960 to 1970s [CAHJ CH6 1 R2259723].

• Certificates of Registration under the Immigration Restrictions Acts, used to grant re-entry into New Zealand for immigrants travelling outside of the country [CAHJ 28620], indexed by name.

• Index cards to temporary permit files 1930 to 1960 including a separate index to stowaways, deserters and sick seamen at the end [R2259721 and R2259722].

• Permanent entry files 1974 to 1976 [CAHJ CH551 1 R1360417] and [CAHJ CH551 2 R1360418], not indexed.

Air drafts

Air draft records (1939 to 1965 with gaps) are included in shipping records [BBAO 5552]. Held in our Auckland archive, these are specifically for passengers to Auckland.

• Nominal draft rolls include air drafts (1962 to 1976 with gaps) [ABKF 947].

• Immigration drafts include air drafts (1966 to 1972) [ABKF 947].

From the 1860s onward, various other specific group or nationality migrations at different periods can be identified. We have material on some of these groups but not all these records refer directly to migration or individuals.

Chinese New Zealanders

Our records for Chinese are mainly alien and naturalisation files, and immigration records from Labour Department archives. You can find out more about researching these archives in our Citizenship guide.

Read our Citizenship guide

Special settlements 1860s to 1870s

In the 1860s and 1870s special settlements were created in the Bay of Islands, at Albertland in the Kaipara Harbour, at Pūhoi north of Auckland, at Katikati in the western Bay of Plenty. In the South Island special settlements were attempted at Karamea, Jacksons Bay and Stewart Island. The Feilding settlement, and Scandinavians who migrated in the 1870s to settle in the Wairarapa, Manawatū and southern Hawke's Bay are other identifiable groups.

• Specific files on special settlements [ACFQ 8226] or Micro 1921 to 1922.

• These passengers can be found in our Wellington archive General Biographical Index c1840 to 1880s.

• Albertland, Kaipara Harbour, ship passenger lists (6 ships of 13) 1862 to 1863, Pūhoi, North Auckland ship passenger List (‘War Spirit’) [BAAZ 4115 1 R8076912]. Other groups arrived in 1866 and 1873 to join this Bohemian settlement. This record is held in our Auckland archive, and there is also a card index for this record in our Auckland reading room which is searchable by name.

• Index to Crown grants [BAAZ 1175]is also held in our Auckland archive.

3 groups of refugees or migrants escaping World War 2 (WW2) came to New Zealand – Chinese, British children and Polish children.

Chinese spouses and children 1939 to 1941

Wives and children of Chinese already in New Zealand arrived in Auckland and Wellington from August 1939 to early 1941 — see passenger lists [ADBO 16135].

British child evacuees 1940 to 1941

In 1940, a government committee offered homes to British children evacuated under The British Children Emergency regulations 1940. 202 children arrived in Wellington. Their files may require permission to view.

• 27 September 1940 — 89 children arrived on the ‘Ruahine’ [ABDO 16135 613 July-Sept No.33 R18720118].

• 4 October 1940 — 113 children arrived on the ‘Rangitata’ [ADBO 16135 613 Oct-Dec No.1 R18720119].

By 31 March 1941, these British children were living in 158 foster homes.

• Evacuation of children from UK 1940 to 1946 [ACIE 8798 61 108/43 R22228393].

• Official index of children [ACGO 8369 1 3483821].

• Samples of correspondence, lists of children, including where sent, escorts [ACGO 8369 3 R3483823].

• Minutes and reports of British Children's Reception Committee 1940 [ACGO 8460 1 R3488091].

• British children evacuated to New Zealand 1940 to 1945 [AADK W4075 15 9/8/10 R1923014] — permission required.

• War – British children general correspondence 1940 to 1942 [ACGB 8300 21 40/2/66 R16801455] — permission required.

• War – British children education 1941 to 1943 [ACGB 8300 21 40/2/84 R16801456] — permission required.

• War – British children proposed remission of contributions to foster parents 1942 to 1946 [ACGB 8300 21 40/2/88 R16801457] — permission required.

Polish refugee children 1944 to 1946

Over 700 Polish refugee children and about 100 Polish adults arrived on the US warship ‘General Randall’, on 31 October 1944. They were placed in a camp at Pahiātua. Within 2 years, around 500 relatives of the children arrived. After the war, most Poles stayed in New Zealand.

Child Welfare, Army, External Affairs and Labour departments created records that may require permission to view.

• Polish child refugee personal files [ACGB 8312] — permission required.

• Polish child refugees file cards, index cards to the personal files above [ACGB 8313] — permission required.

• Polish Children’s Camp, 161 Files 1944 to 1949 [AAYS 8707].

• External Affairs [ACIE 8798].

• Department of Labour employment records and correspondence [ACGV 8814] — permission required.

• Naturalisation records from 1949 of Polish children who became New Zealand citizens [ACGO 8376].

Post-World War 2 Labour Department

‘₤10 POMS’ 1947 to 1966

Under this scheme, British migrants paid £10 fares to immigrate to New Zealand based on a similar Australian scheme:

• 1947 to 1966 [ACGV 8814].

British child migration 1949 to 1954

From 1949 to 1954, the New Zealand government paid the passage for over 500 children from 6 to 18 years old. In 1952, the scheme was modified to transport boys, mostly to work on farms, until 1954.

• Lists of the children, reports from voyages out, some reports on individual children [ACGV 8814].

Hungarian refugees 1956 to 1957

Labour and External Affairs Department files record the Hungarian refugees who migrated to New Zealand after the Soviet Union put down the Hungarian Uprising in 1956. Written permission may be required.

• Hungarian refugees, general 1956 to 1959 [ACIE 8798].

• Hungarian refugees, assistance offered 1956 to 1957 [ACIE 8798 62 108/4/79/2 R22228219].

• Hungarian refugees [ACGV 8814].

• Hungarian drafts 1956 to 1958 [ACGV 8814].

Dutch migrants

After World War 2, migrants from the Netherlands and Dutch colonies in South-east Asia arrived in New Zealand. Those who came by ship are recorded in passenger lists [SS1]:

• Dutch settlers [ACGV 8814]

• Dutch settlers, including from colonies in SE Asia [ACGV 8814]

• drafts — correspondence, lists and schedules 1950 to 1966 [ACGV 8814]

• Netherlands drafts 414 to 425, 1967 [ABKF 947]

• Netherlands/Dutch drafts 1966 to 1967 [ABKF 947].

Post-World War 2 Yugoslav immigration

After WW2, 504 ‘displaced’ Yugoslavs entered New Zealand (1949 to 1951).

• Nominal rolls of displaced persons entering New Zealand 1949 to 1952 [ACGV 8834].

• ‘NZ Police reports on Yugoslavs 1948 to 1952’ gives brief official reports on Yugoslavs seeking to sponsor other Yugoslavs, usually relatives, to New Zealand [ACGV 8814 151 22/1/121/3 R18786821].

Labour Department records

Other identifiable groups arrived by sea and air (drafts) from 1950s to 1960s:

• Belgian drafts 1962 to 1965 [ACGV 8814]

• Greek drafts 1962 to 1966 [ACGV 8814]

• German and Austrian drafts 1956 to 1964 [ACGV 8814]

Our Wellington archive holds ship passenger lists for people leaving New Zealand up to 1973 [ADBO 16135]. The sequences are incomplete.

• Lyttelton and Bluff (minor ports) hold some emigration records for 1886, then 1895 onwards.

• Wellington emigration records from 1899.

• Auckland records from 1908.

Ships often called at more than one port, and emigration from Dunedin was usually included with Wellington and Auckland entries.

Use the ship name and the departure date from New Zealand to find passenger list records.

Without the ship name or date, you can still search the physical passenger lists at our Wellington reading room [ADBO 16135].

South Africa 1901 to 1902

Non-military New Zealanders travelling to South Africa from mid-1901 to 1902 required entry permits. Applications for and copies of the permits survive among the inward correspondence of the Colonial Secretary, later the Internal Affairs Department.

• General index to registers of inward correspondence 1901 to 1903 [ACGO 8335 123 3/25 R21909272].

• Register of inward correspondence 25 April 1901 to 13 March 1902 (includes individual names) [ACGP 8335 58 1/58 R21909207]. The register entries list file references for correspondence but are not the correspondence itself.

• The first appearance of an immigrant in electoral rolls, directories, land records.

• Notices of intention to marry [ADAQ 8937] may record length of residence in the registrar district.

• Historical birth, death and marriage records may record length of time in New Zealand (Central Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages).

• Newspapers may record information such as ship and passenger arrivals, including migrants from Australia, family of passengers already in New Zealand, obituaries for length of time in New Zealand. Search online at Papers Past.

• Cyclopedia of New Zealand (6 volumes, 1897 to 1906) — indexed entries for individuals often give immigration details.

• Alexander Turnbull/National Library records.

• Museums and libraries throughout New Zealand, for local and regional immigration information.

• Emigration records in Britain.

• New Zealand Society of Genealogists and local branches.

• Books about various early settlements in New Zealand often include shipping and immigrant information.

• The internet — search keywords such as ‘Immigration New Zealand’. Many passenger lists are available online.

• Photographs of immigrant ships may exist at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.