Discover your Family's History at our libraries.
Find out what European New Zealand family history resources we hold or can access, what information you are going to find in those resources, and when you need to look elsewhere. Our main focus is Christchurch and Canterbury information from the 19th and early 20th century.
Beginners' guide
How to begin your family history: the basic rules of research, answering specific questions about individuals and writing it all up.
Finding Family Information
Starting Points
Major life events.
Next steps
Arriving and living in New Zealand.
- Shipping and passenger information
- Naturalisation records: what resources are available when an immigrant was not British
- Directories, Electoral rolls and Land: information about where people lived, voted & land they held
Filling in the gaps
Extra details to add to your family history.
- Biographical: resources that provide information about an individual
- Churches, Education and Hospitals, Orphanages and Charitable Aid: finding institutional histories and records
- Business: company and bankruptcy information
- Employment: resources and records about occupations
- Government and Justice: politicians, petitions, police and court information
- Local History: finding local historical information and societies and museums
- Newspapers: what newspapers can provide during your family history research
- War: find out about servicemen and women by visiting our New Zealanders at War guides
Where to next?
Where to next?: links to other organisations and international information.
