Identify locality, event and period; one family may appear in several collection types.
Prepare your research
Locality, event, dates, name variants, repository and document code.
The method, step by step
- Archives New Zealand guides cover migration, probate and personal files. Then search Collections for the description.
- Record document code, repository and restrictions. An online description does not imply an available image.
- For whakapapa consult specialist guidance and appropriate contacts. Administrative documents do not encompass all family and community transmission.
Choose the right repository
A Collections entry identifies the holder and record to request. Use civil registration services for certificates and archives for their holdings.
Choose a route from the record you have
- Choose a documented event: arrival, schooling, death or land matter. Official guidance separates passenger lists, school lists, probate and other files; usefulness depends on place and dates.
- Whakapapa testimony in land files needs context. Note court, case, witness and reference before linking names to a tree; do not assume equal coverage in every period.
Find archives
Archives New Zealand — Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga →
New Zealand guides to migration, probate and personal files.
Repository, digitisation and restrictions vary by file.
Sources & references
- Archives New Zealand — Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga ↗ (Resource review date : )