Most Recent Genealogy Records for New Zealand
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Below is a list and discription of the most recent genealogy records for New Zealand (see list of most recent records for other countries). Many of these records can be searched using our free Genealogy Search Engine.
2011
National – FamilySearch has significantly increased their New Zealand probate record collection. These are digital records from local courts throughout New Zealand for the period 1878 to 1960. The collection now covers some 143,000 images. This collection comes from the Archives of New Zealand website, which you can search to find the probate file number associated with a name. You then use this probate file number to find the appropriate images in the FamilySearch collection. Access is free. [New Zealand Probate Records]
Commonwealth - Ancestry.co.uk has published details on the 880,000 soldiers who received Silver War Badges (SWB) in World War I. These were small, circular badges made of silver, with the king’s initials, a crown and the inscription ‘For King and Empire’ and ‘Services Rendered’ (see image below). They were granted to soldiers who had been honourably discharged from the war due to wounds or illness.
World War I Silver War Badge
The SWB was intended to be worn with civilian cloths (it was forbidden to be worn on a military uniform). The SWB was given to discharged soldiers to prevent them being accosted by women with white feathers (a symbol of cowardice), which were presented to able-bodied men on the home front who were not wearing a uniform. This collection includes SWBs given to soldiers across the Commonwealth. A typical record lists name, rank, regiment number, unit, date of enlistment, date of discharge and reason for discharge. Many service records from World War I were lost. If you suspect this may have happened with your ancestor, then you should check this collection. Sometimes, the SWB record is the only record of military service that survived the Great War. Access is by subscription. [Silver War Badge Service Records]
Commonwealth – GenesReunited.co.uk has added about 1.3 million military records from various Commonwealth countries. The records date from the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 to 1902) and World War I (1914 to 1918). Include are the following collections: lists of the men and women who fought during the Second Anglo-Boer war; Commonwealth soldiers who died in WWI; Royal Navy officer’s medal role (1914 to 1920) and New Zealand World War I male and female service personnel. Access is by subscription [Commonwealth World War I Military Records]
National – Ancestry.com.au has launched a major new collection for New Zealand that spans 20 million family history records. The six components to the collection include the New Zealand Electoral Rolls (1853-1981), Canterbury Provincial Rolls (1868-1874), Jury Lists (1842-1862), Mãori Voter Rolls (1908 & 1919), Mãori Land Claims (1858-1980) and New Zealand Naturalisations (1843-1981). Most of the records come from Anne Bromell, who spent many years preserving and converting important New Zealand genealogy records to microfilm. The electoral rolls in particular serve as a good substitute for census records for anyone who has experienced difficulty tracing their New Zealand ancestors. Access is by subscription. [Historic New Zealand Electoral Rolls]
National – FamilySearch has added 144,500 new records from immigration passenger lists dating from 1839 to 1973. Access is free. [Historic New Zealand Passenger Lists]
2010 July to December
National – FamilySearch has beefed up their immigration passenger list collection, with over 450,000 new records added for the period 1871 to 1915. Access is free. [New Zealand Passenger Lists 1871-1915]
National – Papers Past, the New Zealand National Library’s website of historic newspapers has added eight more historic New Zealand newspapers to its online collection. This brings the total collection to 61 publications spanning the years 1839 to 1945. The more than one million pages of digitized newspapers are from all regions of New Zealand. Papers Past has also enhanced its search capabilities, including the new ability to perform complex Boolean searches (using AND & OR operators). As well, a new zoom feature is available that allows a higher magnification look at page images. Access is free. [New Zealand Historic Newspapers 1839-1945]
National – A collaboration between Archives New Zealand and FamilySearch has resulted in some 300,000 pages of New Zealand maritime immigration records going online over the next couple of months. These are essentially passenger manifesto lists going back into the 1800s. Typical data includes passenger name, ship name, arrival date and port of arrival. About 10% of these immigration records have already been put online and the balance will be completed by the end of 2010. This is big news for anyone with New Zealand ancestors. One of the most difficult challenges for New Zealand genealogists has always been to determine when ancestors actually arrived in New Zealand. Now an extensive list is available for the first time. [New Zealand Maritime Immigration Records]
New Zealand – The New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG) has just released three major new sets of genealogy records. The record sets are available for sale by CD. The first CD combines the electoral rolls of 1881 (120,000 names), 1893 (300,000 names) and 1896 (330,000 names) into one searchable database. The database is linked to copies of electoral maps from the period and the database can be searched by name and year. The second CD lists (non-Maori) landowners in New Zealand in October 1882. This is a searchable PDF list giving the names, addresses and occupations of freehold landowners. The third CD is a compilation of obituaries that appeared in the Wellington Evening Post from 1929 to 1977. Each CD can be purchased separately. The NZGS also sells other useful CDs, such as an index listing 1.7 million people who were married between 1856 and 1956. [New Zealand Historic Electoral Rolls and Historic Wellington Obituaries]
2010 January to June
National – FamilySearch has updated their New Zealand immigration passenger lists from 1871 to 1915. Access is free. [New Zealand Immigration Passenger Lists 1871-1915]
2009
National: The National Library of New Zealand has added several more digitized newspapers to its online collection called Papers Past. The site has now digitized 52 New Zealand newspapers containing over 14 million articles. Access is free. [free Historic New Zealand Newspapers]
National: The New Zealand government has launched a web site to search 11 million historical birth, death, marriage and civil union records. Birth and death records are available from 1848 and marriage records from 1854. Mãori marriage records are available from at least 1911 and birth & death records from at least 1913. Births must have occurred at least 100 years ago, deaths at least 50 years ago and marriages at least 80 years ago. People wanting access to more recent records must provide proof of identity and apply by fax, mail or in person. Access is by pay-per-record. [Historic New Zealand Birth, Marriage, Death Records 1848-present]
