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Welcome back to another glossary post! This week we’re talking about something that is unavoidable when trying to find r...
19/08/2026

Welcome back to another glossary post! This week we’re talking about something that is unavoidable when trying to find records:
👉 the title.

Titles for records are taken from what is physically written on the record. This means that records can have titles that appear vague in isolation, but make sense when viewed together with the series and agency information.

For example, a title such as ‘Kakanui Survey District’ won’t provide much context on its own. It doesn’t explain what this record was for, what it might contain, or how it was used.

However, if you look at the record titled ‘Kakanui Survey District’ (R10303350) on Collections search, you can see it is part of a series called ‘Otago Land Office Maps’ (Series 9433), which provides more detail.

What is your favourite children's book? Many New Zealand primary school students learnt to read with the iconic Ready to...
17/08/2026

What is your favourite children's book?

Many New Zealand primary school students learnt to read with the iconic Ready to Read series, first published by the Ministry of Education in 1963.

Archives New Zealand holds original artworks created for the series, including these illustrations by Dick Frizzell for Margaret Mahy's book, 'Going to the Beach' (1984).

Can you place your ancestors on a map? ‘Land’ is the most common family history topic in the Dunedin reading room. Resea...
14/08/2026

Can you place your ancestors on a map? ‘Land’ is the most common family history topic in the Dunedin reading room. Researchers want to find out where their ancestors lived, farmed, worked, and invested.

Our Dunedin office has digitised indexes for the Deeds System and subsequent Land Transfer System. Search Otago deed indexes to find land an ancestor owned, or for historic owners of a piece of land you own. These records are used to help people trace chain of ownership right back to the 1850s.

Our website has a handy guide to help you navigate searching deeds indexes: https://www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/research-guides/land/otago-and-southland-land-records

Māori or Crown land is not covered by the Deeds System. Check out our other land information guides: https://www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/research-guides/land

Passport application files aren't usually kept as a public archive, but the applications for The Invincibles, the legend...
13/08/2026

Passport application files aren't usually kept as a public archive, but the applications for The Invincibles, the legendary All Blacks squad of 1924-25, have been preserved and digitised.

Nicknamed The Invincibles, the team toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada between 1924 and 1925.

Captained by Cliff Porter and featuring rugby greats including George Nēpia and brothers Cyril and Maurice Brownlie, they won all 32 matches on tour, including test victories over Ireland, England, Wales and France.

Explore their passport applications and photographs on our website: https://www.archives.govt.nz/discover-our-stories/the-invincibles-passport-applications

Welcome back to our glossary series! Today's term helps you access items in Collections search. 👉 Today's term: the ‘R’ ...
12/08/2026

Welcome back to our glossary series! Today's term helps you access items in Collections search.

👉 Today's term: the ‘R’ number, item ID, or item code

An ‘R’ number is the unique identifier our collections management system generates when we add new record. Every record listed to item level has a unique number. You can use it to quickly find records in Collections, reference them (although it does not replace a full archives reference), and preorder records for a reading room visit.

An ‘R’ number shows that something is a separate record that may be able to be ordered. If an item in Collections does not have an ‘R’ number, it’s not a single record that can be ordered to the reading room. For example, it might be a whole series of records or an entire accession of records.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, 1 August, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Homosexual L...
07/08/2026

A big thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, 1 August, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Homosexual Law Reform Act.

Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed a range of activities, film screenings, and a special collection viewing featuring taonga from the National Library, Alexander Turnbull Library, Archives, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, and Kawe Mahara Q***r Archives Aotearoa.

There’s still time to check it out! Our special pop-up display remains open all week and closes at 1pm on Saturday, 15 August.

👉https://natlib.govt.nz/events/pop-up-display-40-years-of-homosexual-law-reform-august-01-2026-to-august-08-2026

📷 All photos by Jo Moore

Researching your family history? It might be time to take another look at Collections search. https://collections.archiv...
07/08/2026

Researching your family history? It might be time to take another look at Collections search. https://collections.archives.govt.nz

Our archivists regularly add new entries, including lists of individual Court files that name people involved in proceedings.

So far this year, our Auckland team has added:
- Auckland High Court bankruptcy files, 1947-1960 (series 5628)
- Whangarei land valuation and consent to sale files, 1981-1988 (series 10454)
- Hamilton land valuation files, 1965-1966 (series 14056)
- Auckland mortgagee sales files, 1961-1966 (series 5484)
- Hamilton High Court criminal trial files, 1915-1925 (series 18880)
- Miscellaneous arbitration and apprenticeship files, Auckland, 1957-1974 (series 5651)
- Tokanui Hospital patient files, 1912-1925 (series 5904)
- Carrington Hospital voluntary boarder files, 1912-1925 (series 1028).

Recently processed school records include Te Karaka School and District High, Homebrook, Kairoa, and Koranga Valley schools. To find school admission or enrolment registers, search for the name of the school with the keyword 'admission', for example: 'Te Karaka School admission'.

Found something you'd like to view? Contact us to arrange a visit to our Auckland reading room: https://www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/visit-our-reading-rooms

Happy searching!

Welcome back to our series of glossary posts! 👉 Today's term: 'Record Numbers'Record numbers are the identifier given to...
05/08/2026

Welcome back to our series of glossary posts!

👉 Today's term: 'Record Numbers'

Record numbers are the identifier given to a record by the government agency while they were using it in their business practice and can contain anything, including letters and symbols.

You can often find registers and indexes that list record numbers and associated record information for series. These are especially helpful when records are listed as record number ranges in a box, rather than individually.

in 1923 the Ōtira Railway Tunnel opened, linking Ōtira and Arthur’s Pass beneath the Southern Alps. At the time, it wa...
04/08/2026

in 1923 the Ōtira Railway Tunnel opened, linking Ōtira and Arthur’s Pass beneath the Southern Alps. At the time, it was one of the longest tunnels in the world.

Work began in 1907 and took 16 years to finish. Prime Minister William Massey attended the opening and paid tribute to the workers and their families who lived on site during construction. The work was tough and dangerous, with eight workers losing their lives.

Archives New Zealand in Ōtautahi holds plans that tell the story of the tunnel's construction. They show the infrastructure needed to support the project, including an electric power station needed to electrify the tunnel, workers' housing, and the tunnel entrance.

Would you like to research your Māori whakapapa online? Find out about your personal, historical connections to whānau ...
04/08/2026

Would you like to research your Māori whakapapa online?

Find out about your personal, historical connections to whānau (family), iwi (tribes), hapū (sub-tribes), and whenua (land).

Search Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa (National Library of New Zealand) for published and reference sources such as birth, death and marriage indexes, cemetery records and newspapers: https://natlib.govt.nz/researchers/guides/whakapapa

Search Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga (Archives New Zealand) for original government records such as probate and will files, Māori Land Court and whenua records, and military service records: https://www.archives.govt.nz/research-guidance/research-guides/maori/whakapapa-search-tips

Discover our nation’s memory and the taonga cared for at Te Kahu. Your story starts here.

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