Links - genealogy

Websites for family history research

See also: guide to researching First World War soldiers.

Recently added searchable pdf version of the 1940 Dictionary of NZ Biography.

On this page:

General

Births, Deaths and Marriages

  • Australasia Births Deaths and Marriages Exchange - A place to share information about details contained on birth, death and marriage registrations registered in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Births, Deaths and Marriages Historical Records - The Births, Deaths and Marriages registry (BDM) registers all births, deaths and marriages which take place in New Zealand. The database provides the records of: Births that occurred at least 100 years ago; Stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago; Marriages and eventually Civil Unions that occurred 80 years ago; Deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago or the deceased's date of birth was at least 80 years ago.
  • Register of Otago & Southland Marriages 1848-1920 - This database covers almost all of Otago and an ever increasing number of pre-1920 Southland Presbyterian marriages.
  • Marriage records - UK based site for people researching historical marriages
  • Varcoe's New Zealand Marriages Index - Database of New Zealand marriage records, 1840-62. Enables searching of marriage index records for a second spouse by using year and folio number, and from 1840-1862 by name. Māori data spans 1904-1959. Designed to be used in conjunction with the microfiche Marriages Indexes published by the New Zealand Registrar-General's Office.

Shipping/Passenger Lists

Cemetery Records

Whakapapa

  • Iwidex - Index to published and unpublished information sources on tribal history, tikanga-a-iwi, and whakapapa held in the Heritage and Research Collections of Auckland City Libraries.
  • Kerēme : rākau teitei e iwa = nine tall trees - Searchable selective index to the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board Claim before the Waitangi Tribunal. Material indexed includes iwi, hapu, marae, individual people, organisations, places and events.
  • Māori Resources - Introduction to tracing whakapapa, significant tribal resources held in Auckland Libraries, a map showing iwi and waka, and links to a selection of sites with Maori content.
  • Whakapapa - An introductory resource into researching Māori genealogy. Includes location of items in the University of Auckland Library and an iwi map.
  • Whakapapa Club - Facebook page containing useful information and forums relating to Whakapapa.
  • Whakapapa Maori - useful portal site for Maori whakapapa information

Forums and Bulletin Boards

Guides

Archive Guides

General Family History

Immigrant Groups

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand includes entries on all the main immigrant groups to New Zealand. See also:

  • Ancestry.com - major international genealogy database
  • Chinese: History of the poll tax in New Zealand - A history and database of Certificate of Entry (poll tax) books for Chinese arrivals to Wellington from 1888 to 1901. Site provided by the Office of Ethnic Affairs.
  • Irish: New Zealand-Ireland Connection - Established to highlight the historical and contemporary connections between New Zealand and Ireland. In addition to a brief history of Irish emigration, it has a bibliography; details of New Zealand connections in Ireland; past and contemporary Irish connections in New Zealand; a list of Irish migrants; and links to relevant sites.
  • Polish: The Invited by Krystyna Skwarko. The story of a Polish woman who was deeply involved with the education of the young Polish refugees when they were first gathered together in Southern Russia and the old Persian capital of Isfahan during the early part of the Second World War. She then accompanied them in 1944 on the long journey to a permanent home in New Zealand where she became a teacher and guide at the Polish Children's Camp in Pahiatua. Site hosted by the Consulate of the Republic of Poland, Auckland.

Please email [email protected] if you notice any of these links not working or if would like to suggest other links that could be added.

How to cite this page

'Genealogy links', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/hands/links-genealogy/genealogy-links, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 4-Jul-2023