He aha kei a mātou
What we have
Ko Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga te wāhi ki te rapu me te whai wāhi ki ngā mauhanga 6 miriona, neke atu, i hangaia e te kāwanatanga me ngā whare tūmatanui o Aotearoa. Ākona he aha ngā momo mauhanga e puritia ana e mātou.
Archives New Zealand is the place to find and access over 6 million records created by the government and public institutions of Aotearoa New Zealand. Learn what types of record we hold.
He aha te pūranga
What archives are
He nui whakahara ngā mauhanga ka hangaia e ngā tari kāwanatanga i roto i ā rātou mahi - i ia rā ka hangaia ngā tuhinga, ngā raraunga me ngā reta, tatū noa ki ētahi atu rauemi. Kia oti i te tari te whakamahi i te mauhanga, ka aromatawaitia kia mārama mēnā he uara mauroa tō te mea rā. Mēnā he uara tōna, ka whakawhitia ki a mātou ka noho hei pūranga.
E puritia ana e mātou ngā pūranga mai i te tau 1840 tae noa ki ngā tau tata nei. He whānui ngā momo hōputu, mai i ngā tuhinga ā-ringa ki ngā whakaahua, ngā ataata me ngā oro.
Government agencies create a huge volume of records as they go about their business — each day, they produce documents, data, correspondence and more. When an agency has finished using a record, it’s assessed to understand whether it has long-term value. If it does, it’s transferred to us and becomes an archive.
We hold archives that date from around 1840 to the recent past. They come in a wide range of formats, from written documents to photographs, moving images and sound.
Ngā momo pūranga e puritia ana e mātou
Types of archive we hold
Ko ētahi o ngā pūranga e puritia ana e mātou:
ngā kōnae manene, kirirarau hoki
ngā mauhanga kōti, tae atu ki ngā kōnae tokorau me te pēkerapu me ngā wira kua kōtitia
ngā mauhanga o ngā Kōti Whenua me ngā Poari Māori, pēnei i ngā puka mineti me ngā kōnae muru whenua
ngā uiui matewhawhati
ngā rēhitatanga whenua, te whakahaere whenua karauna me ngā mahere rūritanga o mua
ngā mahere me ngā mapi mō ngā mahinga tūmatanui pēnei i ngā rerewē me ngā poutāpeta
ngā pūranga ā-kura
ngā mauhanga hauora, hauora hinengaro me te tokoora
ngā mauhanga pirihimana me ngā whare herehere
ngā mauhanga mahi maina
ngā pepa a ngā kaipōrangapū
ngā mahi toi, tae atu ki ngā pikitia o te Kohinga Toi ā-Motu o ngā Pakanga, me ngā pikitia pukapuka ā-kura.
ngā whitiāhua i hangaia e te National Film Unit
ētahi atu momo mauhanga tūmatanui.
The archives you can find in our holdings include:
immigration and citizenship files
court records, including divorce and bankruptcy files and probated wills
records from Māori Land Courts and Boards, like minute books, alienation and confiscation files
coroners’ inquests into deaths
land registrations, crown land administration and early survey plans
maps and plans for public works like railways and post offices
school archives
health, mental health and welfare records
police and prisons records
mining records
politicians’ papers
artworks, including the National Collection of War Art and school journal illustrations
films created by the National Film Unit
other types of public record.
Ngā mea kāore i a mātou
What we don’t have
He 3-4% anake ngā mauhanga katoa i hangaia e te kāwanatanga o Aotearoa e puritia ana e mātou. Ko te nuinga o ngā mauhanga kāore i puritia nā te mea:
kāore i whakaponotia he whai uara
i ngaro, i tūkinohia rānei e te aituā, e te hapa a te tangata rānei.
Kāore e puritia ana e mātou ngā mauhanga kei te whakamahia tonutia e ngā tari kāwanatanga Ki te hiahia koe ki te tirotiro i tētahi mauhanga kei te whakamahia tonutia, me whakapā atu ki te tari nāna te mauhanga.
Ngā momo mauhanga kāore e puritia ana e mātou
He rerekē te āhua o ngā mauhanga kei ngā pūranga tūmatanui i ērā ka kohia e ngā whare pukapuka me ngā pūranga tūmataiti - hei tauira, kāore e whakaaetia e mātou ngā mauhanga a te hunga tūmataiti, a ngā rōpū hapori rānei
Ka whakaatu te tūtohi nei i ētahi mea kāore i a mātou, ā me ngā wāhi hei kimi i ēnei.
We only have 3 to 4% of all records ever created by the New Zealand government. Most records haven’t been kept, because they:
weren’t believed to be valuable
have been lost or damaged by disaster or human error.
We don’t have records that are still being used by government agencies. If you want to see a document that’s still in use, you’ll need to contact the agency that holds it.
Types of record we don’t keep
Public archives keep different types of document to libraries or collecting archives — for example, we don't accept donations of archives created by private individuals or community groups.
The table shows some things we don’t have, and where you can look for them.
Ngā mauhanga kāore i a mātou | Ngā wāhi kimi i ēnei mauhanga |
|---|---|
Ngā tuhinga, ngā rātaka me ngā tuhinga taketake whaiaro a te tangata | |
Ngā pūranga paetata, ngā whare pukapuka me ngā whare taonga paetata hoki | |
ngā tiwihikete whānautanga, matenga, me te mārenatanga | |
Ngā niupepa | |
Ngā whare pukapuka paetata | |
Ngā pukapuka me ngā tuhinga kua whakaputaina | |
Ngā mauhanga mō ngā whare tūmataiti | Ngā pūranga kaunihera ā-rohe |
Ngā kohinga rārangi pōti | Ngā whare pukapuka paetata |
Ngā mauhanga tatauranga | |
Ngā kōnae penihana, whakahoki tāke rānei | |
Ngā rēhitatanga motokā | |
Ngā whitiāhua, ngā whakaahua me ngā mahi toi rānei kāore i hangaia e te kāwanatanga, mā te kāwanatanga rānei | |
Ētahi pūranga paetata, ngā whare pukapuka me ngā whare taonga paetata hoki | |
Ngā mauhanga Kaunihera ā-Rohe | Ngā pūranga kaunihera ā-rohe |
Records we don't have | Where to find them |
|---|---|
People's personal papers, diaries or manuscripts | |
Local archives, libraries and museums | |
Birth, death and marriage certificates | |
Newspapers | |
Local libraries | |
Books or published works | |
Records about private houses | Local council archives |
A complete set of electoral rolls | Local libraries |
Census records | |
Pension files or tax returns | |
Car registrations | |
Films, photographs or artworks that weren't created by or for the government | |
Some local archives, libraries and museums | |
Local government records | Local council archives |
He tino iti a mātou mauhanga o ētahi momo rauemi, pēnei i:
ngā tono uruwhenua o ngā tāngata rongonui, iti ake i te 100
ngā kōnae tūmataiti o ngā hōia i haere ki te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao, ki ētahi atu riri i muri iho rānei - kei a mātou ngā mauhanga o ngā hōia i tae ki tēnei riri me Te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao.
We have a very small number of some types of record, including:
the passport applications of fewer than 100 well-known New Zealanders
personnel files of soldiers who served in World War 2 or later conflicts — we only have these for soldiers who also served in World War 1.
Ki hea kite ai i ngā mauhanga
Where to view records
Ka puritia e mātou ngā mauhanga ki ngā pūranga e whā kei te motu - Tāmaki Makaurau, Pōneke, Ōtautahi me Ōtepoti. Mēnā:
kei te hiahia mōhiohio koe mō tētahi mauhanga - he pai ake te whakapā atu ki te pūranga kei a ia taua mauhanga
kei te hiahia ki te tiro ā-kanohi i tētahi mauhanga - me haere ki te pūranga e pupuri ana i taua mauhanga.
Ngā mauhanga tuihono
Kei te puku mahi tō mātou kāhui whakamatihiko a Te Maeatanga ki te whakaputa i ā mātou mauhanga kia wātea ā-tuihono. Ka taea e koe te kite i te hia rau mano o ngā mauhanga matihiko i te rapunga Kohinga.
Ki te hiahia koe ki tētahi mauhanga matihiko kāore anō kia whakamatihikotia e mātou, ka taea e koe te utu te whakapiki i taua mauhanga ki te tihi o te tūtira mahi.
Ākona me pēhea te whakamatihiko i tētahi pūranga
Rapua ngā wāhi o ngā mauhanga
Ko te huarahi māmā rawa e kite ai koe kei hea te mauhanga ko te haere ki te rapunga Kohinga. Ka whakaaturia te wāhi o te mauhanga ki te whārangi o ngā hua rapunga.
Ko te nuinga o nga mauhanga ka puritia ki te pūranga e tūtata ana ki te wāhi i hangaia ai. Hei tauira, ka taea e koe te tiro ngā mauhanga o ngā maina kōura o Te Tai Poutini ki Ōtautahi, otirā ko ngā mauhanga kāwanatanga kei Pōneke.
He pūranga atu anō kei ētahi pokapū, i tua atu i ngā pūranga mō taua rohe - rapua ngā kōrero o ēnei mauhanga ki ngā rārangi i raro.
We keep our records in 4 archives around the country — Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. If you:
need information about a record — it’s best to contact the archive that holds it
want to view a record in person — you’ll need to visit the archive that holds it.
Online records
We no longer offer a digitisation service, but you can view hundreds of thousands of digitised records on Collections search.
Find record locations
The easiest way to check where a record is kept is to find it in Collections search. An item’s location displays on the search results page.
Most records are kept in the archive closest to the place they were created. For example, you can view records about Westland gold mining in Christchurch, while most central government records are in Wellington.
Some of our centres also have extra holdings, on top of the archives for their region. Find details of these in the lists below.
Rapua he mauhanga
Search for records
Ngā mauhanga motuhake kei ia pūranga
Special holdings in each archive
Tāmaki Makaurau
Auckland
I tua atu o ngā pūranga ā-rohe mō Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki, Waikato me Te Waiariki, he mauhanga kei Tāmaki o:
ngā kura Native/Māori (1872 - 1984)
te Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe o Ākarana (1853 - 1876)
te Āpiha Tianara o Ākarana (1865 - 1878)
te Waikato Immigration Scheme me ētahi atu kaupapa kirinoho motuhake
ngā take manene tae atu ki ngā reta tawhito mai i te 1865 - 1915, te tāke Hainamana, ngā rārangi o te hunga i taetae ki Tāmaki mā runga kaipuke (1915 - 1965) me te rererangi (1939 - 1965).
As well as regional archives for Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, Auckland has records of:
Native/Māori Schools (1872 to 1984)
the Auckland Provincial Government (1853 to 1876)
the Agent General Auckland (1865 to 1878)
the Waikato Immigration Scheme and other special settlement schemes
immigration, including early correspondence from 1865 to 1915, Chinese poll tax, passenger lists for arrivals in Auckland by ship (1915 to 1965) and plane (1939 to 1965).
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Wellington
Ko Te Whanganui-a-Tara tō mātou pūranga nui rawa. Ka puritia ngā pūranga ā-rohe o Taranaki, o Whanganui, o Te Matau-a-Māui, o Manawatū, o Wairarapa me Te Whanganui-a-Tara, tatū noa ki ngā mauhanga kāwanatanga.
Ka whai pānga ngā pūranga kāwanatanga ā-motu ki te motu whānui, ka raua atu ki tēnei karangatanga:
ko ngā pūranga manene
ko ngā pūranga e pā ana ki ngā Whawhai ki Aotearoa, te Whawhai ki Āwherika ki te Tonga, te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao me te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao
ko ngā whakatewhatewhanga a te kaitirotiro tūpāpaku ki ngā matenga
ko ngā mōhiohio mō te kirirarautanga me te whakakirirarau hoki
ko ngā pūranga e pā ana ki ngā pirihimana, ki ngā whare herehere, ki ētahi atu mahi ā-ture hoki
ko ngā pepa a ngā kaitōrangapū
ko ngā pūranga e pā ana ki ngā kaimahi kāwanatanga me ngā mahi hoki
ko ngā pūranga e pā ana ki ngā Poari Mātauranga, ki ngā kura, ki ngā whare wānanga tōmua hoki
ko ngā kiriata me ngā whakaahua nā te kāwanatanga i mahi
ko ngā whakahaere pēnei i te Pokapū Kiriata ā-Motu (National Film Unit), te Taupuni Whakarairanga ā-Motu (National Publicity Studios) me ētahi atu
ko ngā mahi toi, tae atu ki te Kohinga ā-Motu o Ngā Mahi Toi Pakanga (National Collection of War Art), ngā whakaahua nā ngā hautaka kura, me ngā pānui whakaahua rerewei, hauora hoki.
Wellington is the largest of our 4 buildings. It holds regional archives for Taranaki, Whanganui, Hawkes Bay, Manawatū, Wairarapa and Wellington, as well as central government records.
Central government records relate to the whole country, and include:
immigration records
archives related to the New Zealand Wars, South African War and First and Second World Wars
coroners’ inquests into deaths
citizenship and naturalisation information
police, prison and other law-related archives
politicians’ papers
government employment and work-related archives
Education Board, school and early university archives
films and photographs created by government
organisations like the National Film Unit, National Publicity Studios and others
artworks including the National Collection of War Art, school journal illustrations and railway and health posters.
Ōtautahi
Christchurch
I tua atu i ngā pūranga ā-rohe o Waitaha, o Te Tai Poutini, o Te Tau Ihu me Whakatū, he mauhanga hoki wā Ōtautahi o:
Te Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe o Waitaha
te Canterbury Association
te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha me te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Waitaha.
As well as regional archives for Canterbury, Westland, Marlborough and Nelson, Christchurch has records of:
Canterbury Provincial Government
the Canterbury Association
Environmental Canterbury and the Canterbury Regional Council.
Ōtepoti
Dunedin
I tua atu i ngā pūranga ā-rohe o Ōtakou, o Murihiku, o Rakiura me ngā motu kōpaka, ko ētahi atu mauhanga kei Ōtepoti ko:
ngā mauhanga a Te Kāwanatanga ā-Rohe o Ōtākou
Ngā Whakaahua o te Ratonga Patu Ahi o Aotearoa tae atu ki ngā whakaahua o Aotearoa me tāwāhi
ētahi mauhanga hawai o Waitaha
Ngā Pūrongo Tārua nā te Tari Koroni, tae atu ki ngā pūrongo hōia, ngā pūrongo huri noa (circular despatches) me ngā pūrongo noa (ordinary despatches)
Ngā pūranga a te Kamupene Waro o Westport-Stockton.
As well as regional archives for Otago, Southland, Stewart Island (Rakiura) and the sub-Antarctic islands, Dunedin has:
Otago Provincial Government records
New Zealand Fire Service Photographs, including photos from around Aotearoa and overseas
some Canterbury irrigation records
Duplicate Despatches from the Colonial Office, including military, circular and ordinary despatches
Westport-Stockton Coal Company archives.
Rapua he kōrero anō mō ā mātou mauhanga
Find out more about what we have
Ka taea e mātou te āwhina i a koe ina hiahia mōhiohio anō mō ngā momo mauhanga e puritia ana e mātou.
Pātai mai ki tētahi kaitiaki rokinga he aha ā mātou mauhanga
We can help if you need more information about the types of record we keep.