New Zealand Genealogy News

Soames Island Cemetery burials 1874-1875

2011-11-01T06:25:00.001-07:00

1874 saw a marked increase in the number of immigrants arriving in New Zealand, many assisted immigrants recruited in Europe to fill the large labor shortage New Zealand was experiencing. The recruits would report to a shipping depot at or near their departure port, and there wait until departure of their ship. These depots were often severely overcrowded and allowed contagious disease to gain a foothold before the passengers even stepped foot on a ship. Although screened by a Doctor before boarding, ill immigrants slipped through or were intentionally allowed to board in the pressure to get as many immigrants to New Zealand as possible. The number of ships arriving with epidemic disease onboard was so high in 1874 that it caused a public outcry over the risk to the colony. Thirteen burials would occur at the Quarantine Station cemetery on Soames’ Island, the most for any year that it was in operation.

The ship Woodlark sailed London December 12th 1873 and the first case of illness occurred on the 16th when a child came down with scarlet fever. Before her arrival in Wellington March 24th 1874 eighteen would die onboard, at least seven from fever or its complications. Three of her passengers were buried on Soames’ Island, two of which were children who died the day before the ship reached Wellington. One year old William Palmer died of Phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) and four year old Annie Smith died of scarlet fever. Shortly after the ships arrival 59-year old Mary Ann Tonkin died, cause not known.

The next ship to bring death to the Soames’ Island Quarantine Station was the Golden Sea which sailed from London on the 29th January 1874 and arrived at Wellington 1st May 1874. She brought out 368 immigrants and during the voyage there were eight deaths from scarlet fever. On 3 May five year old Marion Taft died of scarlet fever, and near the same time her seven-month old sister Eleanor also succumbed. Marion and Eleanor were the daughters of Yorkshire immigrants William James and Elizabeth H. Taft. Their parents went on to settle in New Plymouth where William James died in 1914 and Elizabeth in 1934.

The ship Cartvale sailed from London on 25th June 1874 and arrived Wellington 11th October 1874. Within a few weeks seven of her passengers, none older than eighteen months, would join the other unfortunate souls buried on Soames Island.

This entry, from the diary of passenger George Smith, was made on Sunday, October 11th 1874: “Ah tis the yellow flag that’s a sign we are to be quarantined but not quite so bad as you may think for there is a little island in the bay with a depot on purpose for emigrants. So that we may get a thorough cleansing before going into the town which is very necessary as we are all more or less lousy, beside having had measles and whooping cough on board.” On 12 October his writes “I am sorry to say we lost another child this evening about 12 months old, making in all 20 deaths since we came on board in 111 days.” His entry from 16 October states “Two children died this morning buried on the island.” His final entry about the deaths of passengers was made 17 Oct “another child died this morning 3 ½ years old (3 deaths on the island).”

The names of the seven children from the ship Cartvale buried in Soames Island in October 1874 are: Clara Cumberland, aged 18 months, daughter of William and Fanny; Elizabeth Butler, 7 months, daughter of Ramus and Mary; Clara Lee, 12 days old, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth; Annie (3 years) and Arhur Nash (17 months), children of Henry and Mary; Marion Douglas Pope, 3 months, not listed on manifest; and Winfred Lucy Moore, 1 month, daughter of Ambrose and Eliza Moore.

On 22 October 1874 the ship Douglas arrived at Wellington and was sent to Soames Island. Thirty one deaths, chiefly of infants and children under four years of age, occurred on the voyage, and she arrived with twenty cases of illness still under treatment. One year old David Barr would die and be buried on the island in early November.

Under charter to the Shaw Savill Company, the ship Berar, 902 tons, made three trips to New Zealand, two to Wellington and one to Auckland. The third trip of the Berar was to Wellington. She left London on October 18, 1874, and made Wellington on January 22, 1875, a passage of 96 days. On this occasion there were twenty-one deaths from scarlet fever. Following this voyage a Royal Commission of Enquiry was convened into the outbreak of disease & subsequent deaths on board.

The Evening Post on Monday January 25th 1875: The following is a list of the Berar passengers now in hospital on Somes Island: Fanny Nash, aged 17; Emma Lord, 16; Sophia Carman, 18; Anthony Alderson, 50; Mary Alderson, 15; Sarah Alderson, 18; James Alderson, 5; Phoebe Alderson, 11; William Strand, 7; Jane Blake, 12; Eliza Fielding, 2; Edith Webb, 4; Agnes Carroll, 17; George Shoebridge, 11; Elise Maul, 2; John Thomas, 31. One child, Anne Laughton, aged 14 months died on Somes Island.

Burials recorded at the Soames Island Cemetery for passengers of the Berar are Anthony James Alderson (listed as James on the ship manifest, age four, son of Anthony and Cicely and Lawrence Wright, who was not listed on the ship manifest, and is probably a miss-transcription of Florence Wright, daughter of Helier and Joan Wright.

Next in the list of ships to be quarantined was the Collingwood, which sailed from Gravesend on April 18, 1875. This ship was listed to sail from London and land 286 passengers at New Plymouth, but fever broke out on the voyage, and the Captain put into Wellington, arriving on July 10th. As there were 50 cases of scarlet fever under treatment on board, the vessel was ordered into quarantine.

Passengers from the Collingwood buried on Soames Island are:George Barker, age 7, son of Charles and Eliza; Ann E. Tomlinson, age 1, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth; George Skeel(e)s, the 3 year old son of Phillip and Isabella; and 35 year old Timothy Harker, single man, a miner from Yorkshire who died of typhoid fever & pneumonia.

The last burial for 1875 was one-year old Timothy Troy, son of Timothy and Mary from Limerick, who died in September after having arrived on the ship Rodney.

Disease, Epidemics and Soames’ Island Quarantine Station

2011-09-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Being lucky enough to live in an era where immunization has wiped out or greatly reduced the chance of being infected with a virulent, communicable disease such as smallpox, scarlet fever, typhoid, etc, I always feel a moment of shock when I find an ancestor who died of what is now a preventable disease.

I recently ran across the cemetery transcription for the Soames' Island Cemetery. Soames' Island, located in the Wellington harbor, was used for many years, beginning in 1868, as a quarantine station for ships arriving at Wellington with disease onboard. The last five burials in the cemetery took place in 1919 and were related to the influenza pandemic.

Epidemics of communicable diseases existed in New Zealand long before the mass arrival of European immigrants. In 1790 an epidemic of rewha-rewha (influenza) killed 60% of Maori population in North Island. Early influenza outbreaks among Maori were reported at Foveaux Strait in Southland between 1817 and 1820, and in the Bay of Islands and Mercury Bay in Coromandel in 1838 and 1839.

In 1835 measles were reported among Maori working at the South Island whaling stations. This was the first time measles appeared in New Zealand, and was believed to have been introduced by a Maori native returning home from Sydney on the sailing vessel 'Children'. Unaware of how to cope with a foreign disease, entire Maori communities apparently resorted to bathing in streams in order to rid themselves of the spots. T. A. Pybus wrote: ‘The death rate was serious, and in many cases the people died as they stood. Even in later years skeletons have been found far from their kaikas (settlements) … lying one across another indicating the suddenness of the end. Measles was also reportedly prevalent in 1838 on South Island's Otago Peninsula.

A Measles epidemic occurred in 1854, brought in by passengers on a Tasmanian ship that arrived in North Island. The epidemic spread concurrently with a scarlet fever epidemic.

Scarlet fever was introduced to New Zealand during the late 1840s or mid-1850s. The first really severe outbreak occurred in Dunedin during 1863-64. Diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid were also prevalent during that time. The next major outbreak of scarlet fever apparently was imported from Australia and occurred in 1876-1877. It spread across New Zealand, although some areas suffered more than others. Scarlett fever struck again in epidemic form during 1881-82.

Whopping Cough epidemics occurred in 1873 and 1907. Prior outbreaks of Whopping Cough occurred in 1818 and 1847 but at the time the disease did not have to be reported to health officials.

Once European settlement of New Zealand began in earnest, communicable diseases often arrived on ships filled with immigrants. Once these sick passengers joined the local communities, the disease could spread quickly. Early European settlements often lacked clean water supplies and effective sewage disposal. Typhoid and other bacterial infections were common, along with diphtheria, measles, whooping cough (pertussis), scarlet fever and tuberculosis. Infant mortality rates were high and medical treatments were often ineffective. Typhoid was a killer between the 1810s to 1890s. Tuberculosis was also a constant killer during this period – an endemic epidemic – and wasn’t brought under control until the 1950s.

Health Officers or other officials usually met a ship when it entered harbor and were given a report of any disease onboard. Various quarantine methods were used through the years.

(Next installment - the founding of Soames' Island Quarantine Station)

Smallpox Arrives in New Zealand, Quarantine Station Founded

2011-09-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

In 1868 the ship S.S. Kaikoura arrived in Wellington from England, via Panama, with two cases of smallpox on board. This prompted the formation of a "Medical Board" which determined that Soames' Island, in Wellington Bay, would become a quarantine area. This was the first time a ship with smallpox onboard had arrived in the colony of New Zealand. In 1858 those quarantined on the island lived in temporary tents. If any of the ill passengers died while on Soames' Island, they were not buried in its cemetery, or their names are lost to history.

The first burial in the Soames' Island Cemetery was 1872, when an un-named child died of smallpox. She and her family were passengers on the ship 'England', which had a large number of Scandinavian immigrants and arrived on Saturday, March 9, 1872 at Wellington. By the next day the death count onboard was fourteen children and three adults. Disease first appeared during the voyage amongst the Scandinavian children and the Wellington Board of Health determined that the disease was smallpox. There was also an outbreak of measles onboard. Passengers had complained about the fitness of the ship's Doctor and after arrival in Wellington he was arrested.

Due to the large number of people now quarantined on the island, the Board of Health decided to erect two buildings on opposite sides of the island, one for the sick and the other for the convalescent.

On 11 March 1872 the newspapers reported the death “of another child” who had been buried on Soames' Island. This child is not listed on the cemetery transcript, which only contains one 1872 burial, two year old Mary Elizabeth Rudman (Redman). Her exact death date is not known, one version says 25 Jan 1872, and another 26 Jul 1872. I tend to believe the July date is correct, as in June 1872 there were almost simultaneous breakouts of smallpox in Wellington and Auckland.

On 26 May 1872 Mr. Kaye, a mail agent, arrived on the ship Nebraska from San Francisco. By June it became aware that he had a mild case of smallpox and was sent to Soames Island, where many of the passengers from the ship England were still quarantined. Mr. Kaye first claimed not to know where he could have been infected, but later admitted that smallpox was prevalent when he was in San Francisco. On 17June a Mr. Thompson, passenger on the same ship as Mr. Kaye died from smallpox at Auckland Hospital. On July 2nd it was reported that one of the Armed Constabulary (Patrick Loughran), who was in attendance on Mr. Kaye, also came down with smallpox (he survived, as did Mr. Kaye). It's quite possible that Mr. Kaye and Mr. Thompson were responsible for the 1872 outbreaks on the mainland.

Next installment - 1873-1876 , 25 burials at Soames' Island Cemetery

I've been remiss...

2011-01-22T05:42:00.000-08:00

It's been months since I updated this blog. I've been using Twitter to pass along anything interesting. I've also been traveling a lot, but that's the norm for me. I'll try to find the time to write up a few decent posts....

Follow Friday: The Genealogical Research Directory

2010-02-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

From the TribuneStar.com:

“GRD,” or the Genealogical Research Directory: This is reportedly the largest listing of genealogical queries in the world. It’s been around since 1981. The GRD is published in Australia and is used across the globe, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It is a directory of research submissions from around the world. The GRD listings consist of researchers’ names along with what family lines they are working on. It is considered the largest published group of queries in the world, consisting of an average of 100,000 entries, updated annually. This resource helps researchers from everywhere connect with each other.

A typical GRD table of contents contains an introduction describing how to use the book, a listing of abbreviations used, the directory of surnames, a directory of subjects, a listing of one-name (single surname) studies, a list of contributors’ contact information, a list of genealogical societies from around the world, and an index of professional services from many nations.

The directory has been published in book form since 1981 and is now also available on CD-ROM. It grows in size each year. Each directory includes 35,000 to 150,000 names from contributors in 30 countries (with a focus on English-speaking nations) and runs about 1,200 pages. Past copies are available for sale at various Internet sites such as www.gould.com.au/Genealogical-Research-Directory-2007-p/lah126.htm and www.gould.com.au/Genealogical-Research-Directory-Set-1981-1993-p/au9600.htm.

For more information on the GRD, contact the publishers at Genealogical Research Directory, P.O. Box 795, Sydney, NSW 2060; call (02) 99295087

NZDF Warriors At Air Force Museum Open Day

2010-02-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

All three Services of the New Zealand Defence Force will be on show this Sunday 14 February at the annual Air Force Museum of New Zealand open day, 'Warriors at Wigram'.

Air Force Museum Director, Therese Angelo says there will be an extensive programme of activities, making it a great day out for the whole family.

"On the ground will be interactive activities, demonstrations, an inter-Service challenge, a mock battle and a large variety of equipment including NZ Army Light Armoured Vehicles and Light Operations Vehicles.

"In the air will be flying displays by Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois helicopters, an historic Harvard, a C-130 Hercules and an impressive show by the Air Force's parachute display team, Kiwi Blue.

"There will also be presentations in the Museum theatre and many activities available inside the Museum for younger children. Army, Navy and Air Force recruiting staff will also be on hand to answer questions about life in the Defence Force.

"The previous Warriors at Wigram in 2007 proved extremely popular with Cantabrians and this year's event promises to be even better," said Mrs Angelo.

The Air Force Museum, at 45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram was established in 1979 and has evolved into New Zealand's premier aviation attraction and a 'must do' for both residents and visitors.

The Air Force Museum features 28 outstanding aircraft, hands-on fun displays and military aircraft simulators.

Tombstone Tuesday - John Fraser, Nelson Pioneer

2010-02-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

Pleasant Point Cemetery, Timaru District

The tombstone is old and so weathered that the inscription is barely readable, but beneath it lies John “Jock” Fraser, one of the pioneers who founded the city of Nelson. Resting with him is his wife Mary (Booker) and daughter Jessie. He would marry four times, father 13 children and, along with his sons, accomplish more than one “first’ in New Zealand. Jock was born about 1813 in the Scottish highlands county of Inverness, son of James Fraser. The name of his first wife is unknown and she possibly died in childbirth when his eldest son, Hugh Fraser, was born in 1832.

Much of Jock’s early years remain a mystery but by the time he reached his third decade he took the bold step of signing on with the British New Zealand Company as a laborer to help found a new settlement in Nelson, New Zealand. He traveled first to Edinburgh where on November 9th, 1840 he married his 2nd wife, Margaret Robertson, at the Parish of St. Paul’s. He then made his way to London where on Sunday afternoon, May 2nd 1841, his ship, the Whitby, carrying the surveying party for the new settlement, departed for New Zealand to the sounds of a 21-gun salute. He was one of 59 laborers aboard the ship. Wife Margaret remained behind until the settlement could be established and family sent for.

After a four month voyage the ship arrived at the Wellington settlement on September 8th, 1841 and then made its way to Blind Bay (today known as Tasman Bay), where expedition leaders searched for land suitable for the new colony, settling on the site of a Maori fishing village, Whakatu. It's believed that John/Jock was the first man to step foot on New Zealand's south island wearing a highland kilt.

John Fraser and the other expedition members began the process of building the Nelson settlement. A forge and sawpit was established near the far side of the Maitai River. By January 1842 they had built more than 100 huts in preparation for the arrival of the first settlers.

On February 9th 1842 John’s wife Margaret arrived in New Zealand aboard the ship Lloyds. Around 1845 Jock and family loaded up their possessions into a dray pulled by a bullock and moved to the Motueka Valley where his son James was born. In 1850 John's eldest son, Hugh Fraser, arrived from Scotland on the ship Mariner (departed London). John’s wife Margaret died 18 Oct 1852 from consumption and was buried at Hallowell Cemetery. A few years after Margaret’s death (about 1853) the Fraser family moved to Wairau where John worked as a shepherd on land he leased from Mr. Dillion, at Leithfield Station.

John Fraser had a short 3rd marriage to Helen McEwen, who died within two years of the marriage. Their marriage was published in 3 June 1854 edition of the Nelson Examiner, ‘At Alice Brae, Nelson, on the 20th, by the Rev. T.D. Nicholson, Mr. John Fraser, of Waihopi, Wairau, to Miss Helen M’Ewan, of Nelson’.

On March 17th, 1856 John married his fourth wife, the young widow Mary (Booker) Clarke in Nelson.

The book ‘Turn Back The Clock’, published in 1968, states ‘In 1857 two Scotsmen, Hugh Fraser (son of Jock) and Alex McMurdo, keen to take up land in New Zealand, travelled into the back country of Canterbury in search of sheep…’ Ronald (Alexander) McMurdo and Hugh were the first to drive stock from the Nelson area to new holdings in the MacKenzie Country.

John and his son Hugh would own several of the large sheep runs in MacKenzie County – Ben Ohau, Black Forest Station and the Mount Cook Station. Paraphrased from the Timaru Herald, Friday, 10 Jul 1925 “The Original Run Holders” by T.D. Burnett: The Fraser men were the only highland Scots to settle a sheep run in MacKenzie Country prior to 1860.

Being highland Scots, the Fraser enjoyed their whiskey. They cultivated one acre per annum by hand, on which they grew barley and distilled their own whiskey. The Haldon Station diary, dated 22 August 1868, has an entry stating that they had received one gallon of whisky from the Fraser’s.

It was at Hugh Fraser’s Black Forest Station that the first recorded sheep dog trails took place. On 3 February 1869 the Timaru Herald reports, ‘The first of what is to be hoped will be an annual trail of sheepdogs, took place on Friday at Mr. Fraser’s run, Black Forest, MacKenzie country. ‘

In May of 1876 Mary (wife of Jock Fraser) and their 18 year old daughter Jessie died within a week of each other and were buried in Pleasant Point Cemetery (Timaru District). Marborough Express, Volume XI, issue 829, 5 Jul 1876, Page 3: Deaths: Fraser - On May 16, at Timaru, Mrs John Frazer, of fever. On May 21, at Timaru, Jessie, daughter of John Frazer, of consumption, aged 20.

Jock lived until 14 April 1893 when he died at the Timaru Hospital. His funeral notice was published in the Timaru Herald on 17 April 1893:

“FRASER - The friends of the late Mr. John Fraser, are respectfully invited to attend his funeral, which will leave the Timaru Hospital at 11 o'clock this Morning, for the Pleasant Point Cemetery, which will be reached about 1 o'clock.“

Obituary Source

2010-02-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

I just happened to run across this site today when doing a Google search on a name in a family tree I was working on. The site, A Memory Tree, states:

A Memory Tree is NZ's largest and most comprehensive website holding death information.

If a death has been published in a leading newspaper you can locate accurate, up-to-date information about the person here. We update our records hourly and list 99% of all deaths.

The website has been recording deaths since December 2006.

I personally found several people that died in the last few years. What really excited me was the option to order (for a cost) a summary of their obits sent to me via email.

Madness Monday - Head Injury leads to fits and giddiness

2010-02-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

James Cunningham, great grandfather of the actor Russell Crowe, died in a fire in 1915. News articles reported that he had suffered a fractured skull as the result of a motorcycle accident in 1914 and had suffered ill effects ever since. I find it very interesting that he owned a motorcycle when they must not have been common. It was quite likely an Indian Motorcycle. Motorcycles began to appear in New Zealand in the early 1900s and several reports of accidents appear in the newspapers of that era. James left a wife and six children behind.

Creating and Sharing a Genealogy Database Online

2010-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Those who have been doing genealogy research for a long time often accumulate or come across information that would be much easier to use if it was in a database that could be quickly searched. For example, many GenWeb sites have numerous cemeteries transcriptions, each in a separate list. Combining those transcription pages into one single, searchable database would make ease of use for visitors so much better.

There is a fairly simple and free way to create a searchable database that can be embedded into most web sites. DabbleDB at http://dabbledb.com/ lets you create a database by pasting information from an Excel spreadsheet or via direct input at the Dabble site. You don’t have to know SQL or PHP and your web site hosting package doesn’t have to support those functions.

Preparation of the spreadsheet is probably the most time consuming aspect. If you are merging several sources into one spreadsheet, and they aren’t in a standard format, then time has to be spent formatting them. For those with some experience using Excel it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Once you have your database built at Dabble, you create a searchable “view” and are given the code to embed the database at your web site.

You can see a Dabble database in action (embedded on a web page) here.

UK Parish Records

2010-02-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

From the Liverpool Echo newspaper: Geneology: poor ancestors means better documents

DISCOVERING that your ancestor was a poor peasant farm worker puts many people off pursuing their roots.

But the poorer a person was, the more likely it is that they left behind some documentary evidence of their lives.

It is not usually a problem tracing your ancestors back to 1837 via the civil registration registers and census returns, but before then the main source is the parish registers, which in many parishes date back to 1538.

These are fine until a family name suddenly disappears. This can happen even where a marriage entry records one or both of the parties as ‘of this parish’ but you can not find any birth records.

There are various ways round this problem. Many people, even those who were poor, made wills, and, if you cannot find one, uncles, aunts or siblings may have made wills which mention your elusive ancestor and where he/she lived.

The other main resources are the parish records and Quarter Sessions (court) records. These can be very detailed and contain a wealth of material to help you trace your missing ancestor.

Prior to 1834 the parish was the basis of local government, with each parish electing its own officers to administer local affairs. They were basically untrained officials but the records they left are a goldmine for the family researcher. Some date back to Elizabethan times – there are the account books of village constables, poor law settlement books, details of apprenticeships, churchwarden’s accounts, details of local almshouse tenants, etc.

Basically, each parish was responsible for looking after the elderly, the sick, widows and orphaned children, the unemployed, destitute wanderers and illegitimate children.

In many cases these leave a paper trail which you can access, usually via the county records offices. However, the best starting point is the A2A website hosted by The National Archives at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/

Here, a simple search on a name will often lead you to the catalogue entry about your missing ancestor.

It happened to me recently when I could not trace the birth of my x3 great grandmother Judith Harrison from Maghull.

She was born about 1797 but I had been unable to find her in the parish records. It turned out she was illegitimate – and many illegitimate births were simply not made public by the parties.

However, the subsequent hunt for the father and the arrangements made by the parish for her upkeep are available at the county record office in Preston in the Quarter Sessions records – see lancashire. gov.uk/education/record_office/

The paperwork gave the father’s name, profession and the amount of cash he had to pay the parish for the upkeep of his child. Such information really brings your family history to life.

Many will also have an ancestor who spent some of their lives in a workhouse.

As the population grew, the system of parish relief became an increasing burden for the parish elders and a new system of ‘indoor relief’ based on a community workhouse began to evolve in the 18th century.

Under the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, sweeping new changes were implemented.

Parishes were grouped into ‘unions’ managed by locally elected Boards of Guardians. Under the system, hundreds of new union workhouse buildings were erected across the country.

Relief would only be granted to those desperate enough to face enduring the conditions inside the workhouse.

Life inside the workhouse was intended to be as off-putting as possible. While inmates were provided with a bed, there was little in the way of home comforts.

Men, women, children, the infirm, and the able bodied were housed separately and given basic food.

The fear of seeking shelter in the workhouse was a very real one for many hard-working families who just could not make ends meet in the overcrowded slum conditions in our 19th century towns and cities.

It is from this time on that the best records survive for people who lived in the workhouse, some of which are accessible at local records offices or through family history societies.

In a publication written at the time of the 1834 reforms, Picture Of Liverpool: Strangers Guide, we read the following account of life in a Liverpool workhouse:

‘The first workhouse erected in this town was situated in College Lane at the corner adjoining Hanover Street; but becoming too small for the number of poor applicants, the present one which stands on Brownlow Hill was erected in 1771 at the expense of £8,000 – since which time it had been enlarged.

“This extensive establishment is conducted on excellent and economical principles, each of the inmates having all of the necessaries of life that can be reasonably required, there being a sufficient supply of plain but wholesome food and a proper quantity of warm clothing. Besides these, the old people have some additional comforts.

“All that are not sick are employed in some trade or useful manufacture, as joiners , blacksmiths, wheelwrights, shoemakers, semptresses, knitters, spinners, etc.

“The boys are instructed in some trade, and the girls who are above nine years of age are taught to make straw bonnets, to knit stockings, to sew, or to weave calicos etc.”

There is a huge amount of information and illustrations on Liverpool’s workhouses at www.workhouses.org.uk

Rotorua District Online Cemetery Search

2010-02-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

The Rotorua District Council now has their online search for several cemeteries up and running. Rotorua Cemetery and Crematorium, as well as the Mamaku, Reporoa and Ngakuru cemeteries. Council also operates Ngongotaha’s Kauae Cemetery, which is governed by a separate board of trustees. Go to Rotorua Cemetery Search page

You must download and install the Silverlight 3 plug-in to use the database. You can do that at this link.

It is possible to search by name on this website for an individual cemetery or crematorium record. Typically a successful search will reveal information such as the full name of the deceased, age, location of burial, other associated information held and in many cases a map and photograph of a headstone.

Rotorua District Council's project to make burial records available online is not yet fully complete and there remains a number of records still to be added and some headstones yet to be photographed. These are expected to be completed progressively over coming months.

Songs about Genealogy

2010-02-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

You probably never thought of looking for songs with a genealogy theme, but they do exist. If you 'Google' the terms "family history" and song you'll find others.

Song 1: Genealogy, by Scott Malcom. Available at iTunes.

Song 2: Genealogy, by Ron Johnson & Mary Mathews. Available at iTunes

Song 3: The Family Tree Song by unknown

Tombstone Tuesday - Fred, Annie and Ethel Major

2010-02-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Fred Major was run over by a railway engine at the age of 71. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and immigrated to New Zealand with his father, who was born in Ireland.

Annie (Annette Ghezzi), his wife, was born at Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and immigrated to New Zealand with her parents who met and married at Cape Town. Her father, Luigi Ghezzi, left Italy during the revolution of 1848. Because of his involvment in the revolution he became a wanted man with a price on his head. Later he was granted a full pardon and he and some of the men he fought with were hailed as hero's. Her mother, Mary Ann Laurie Curtain, was from Limerick, Ireland.

Ethel, the daughter of Fred and Annie, never married. She died of colon cancer and exhaustion at age 37. Another daughter died in the 1918 flu pandemic.

I think the history behind this SINGLE tombstone shows the interesting facts that New Zealand related genealogy research can uncover.

(Heartfelt thanks to the 'Random Acts of Genalogical Kindness' volunteer (Annemarie) who went to Karori Cemetery, Wellington and took this picture for me.)

Easier access to War Art online

2010-01-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

(From the Archives New Zealand blog)

Fri, 29/01/2010 - 2:43pm

The history of war, through art, is brought to life online through Archives New Zealand’s new search tool.

Archives New Zealand’s Acting Chief Executive Greg Goulding says the new search tool allows easier access to digitised images and detailed archival information about the National Collection of War Art including descriptions of the 1500 paintings, drawings and sketches.

“The War Art collection tells a visual story of life on the battlefields and in the trenches during World War One and World War Two,” he said.

The collection includes the work of some of our well known artists, such as Peter McIntyre, Alan Barns-Graham, Russell Clark, Austin Deans, George Edmund Butler and Nugent Welch who were official war artists as well as servicemen during those times.

“The collection is a great source of information for researchers and historians who are recording the history of New Zealand’s part in world conflict.”

Greg Goulding says this latest development compliments an online exhibition of the War Art collection that was launched in 2007. “People can now view these art works as well as their detailed archival descriptions,” he said.

The details and images of the War Art collection can be viewed through the new search tool on”

The Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand

2010-01-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

Below is a short segment that was aired on CLOSEUP on the 8th of April 2009 about some of the work and vision of The Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.

Wainuiomata (Wellington) Settler Roll

2010-01-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

If you had ancestors who settled in the Wainuiomata/Wellington area, you might find them on this list. It also includes sheep owners 1868-1885.

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~dchamber/wainuiomataroll.htm

Wordless Wednesday - 1931 Earthquake

2010-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hawkes Bay Earthquake

Tuesday, 3 Feb 1931

This looks so similiar to the pictures coming out of Haiti. About 257 people lost their lives in the 1931 quake.

Tombstone Tuesday - Charles Crowe, Great Uncle of Russell Crowe

2010-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

When he was just a child of three Charles D. Crowe immigrated from Wales to Canada with his parents. When World War II broke out Charles became a pilot officer (air gunner) in the 432nd Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the fall of 1944 his squadron was based in East Moore, Yorkshire, England.

On the evening of September 15th, 1944 allied air crews launched a bombing raid on Kiel, Germany. Kiel, capital of the northernmost German state Schleswig-Holstein, was the site of several camps that provided slave labor for local industry during World War II. Because of its status as a naval port and as production site for submarines, Kiel was heavily bombed by the Allies during the war.

Charles and six other crew members, flying in a Halifax VII aircraft, were returning from the bombing run when their plane collided with a Halifax III aircraft of the 466th Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (also flying a crew of 7).

The crash occurred at 1:05 am (16 Sep) over the island of Als (Occupied Denmark, Nørreskove Forest). Wreckage from the two aircraft was found in a wide area between Elstrup, Østerholm and Hundslev. Five engines were found just north of the village of Hundslev.

All 14 crewmen perished. None of the crew could be identified, but most of their remains were collected by German Wehrmacht soldiers. The remains were brought to the German barracks in Sønderborg and on the next day taken to Aabenraa where they were laid to rest in Aabenraa cemetery on September 18th, 1944 (Aabenraa Cemetery (Denmark) near the south-east Jutland coast about 25 kilometers north of the German border). The burial was without ecclesiastical assistance, and there was no ceremony in connection with the interment, which not even the gravedigger of the cemetery was allowed to attend.

When the Wehrmacht and the Danish police had left the crash site area, a forester named Angelo and his woodmen searched the forest and collected a number of human remains. On the evening of 16 September these were buried in a small mound in the forest. Angelo said a short prayer and a propeller blade was set on the grave, engraved with the words "Here rest allied airmen 15.9 1944. Rest in Peace". On 5 June 1945 the forest mound was consecrated as a grave site.

The propeller was left there until after the war when it was replaced by a small stone with the text: RAF 19-9-1944. The propeller blade is now at the Sønderborg Slot Museum.

In August 1946 the British authorities decided to move the human remains to the cemetery in Aabenraa. Angelo and other local people strongly opposed this but after a couple of months of writing back and forth the mound was opened and the human remains taken to Aabenraa by the British military. The small stone can still be seen in the forest and each year on the evening of September 16th a ceremony is held in the forest by the mound.

(Charles was the Great-Uncle of actor Russell Crowe)

Evagean Publishing Ltd

2010-01-19T05:43:00.000-08:00

Evagean Publishing Ltd has been publishing family histories in New Zealand for many years. Their website has a long list of books already published. I encourage everyone to take a look at the list and check for surnames that appear in your family tree.

Church Archives

2010-01-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the online birth, death and marriage site, most of us can now locate the dates and places of these three life milestones for our ancestors. You may also know their religion or at least be able to make an educated guess. A logical next step would be to locate the church records for the baptisms, marriages and funerals on these individuals.

The keeping of church records in New Zealand generally began when representatives of each religious organization arrived in the islands.

Anglican Church (Church of England) records exist from 1814 onwards. They are held at the Archives of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch. Research can be undertaken in person or by contacting the Archivist at P O Box 4438 Christchurch Fax: 03-379- 5954 Email: archives@chch.ang.org.nz. There is no charge if research is undertaken in person, but donations are always welcome. Written research charges are $30.00 per hour, charged in 20 minute time periods. Photocopies of Baptism, Marriage and Burial records are available at $10.00 each. Reductions are available for 3 or more records at any one time. Photocopying is at the discretion of the archivist. The Archives of the Anglican Diocese are currently developing more online resources.

The Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives is located in Morley House, Latimer Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. There is also a branch of the Archives located in Auckland. Contact the Head Archivist by emailing archives@methodist.org.nz

The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch sells a CD with an index of baptisms in their diocese. As a general rule, Catholic Church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are held by the local parishes. In the archives at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament there are early baptisms for Akaroa, Lyttelton and Banks Peninsula, and for Shands Track. Shands Track records were for people from the Rangitata River to Cheviot with the exception of the Christchurch area. Records of homes for orphans and the aged are held by the institution that runs them or the religious orders which are in charge. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch does not hold published material.

The Archives of the Diocese of Christchurch are housed in a tower of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and consist of a varied collection of documents relating to property, personnel and events. An appointment can be made to visit the Roman Catholic archives. Most information is provided free of charge. Roman Catholic Archives web site is at http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/?sid=1037

The Salvation Army Archives will make available historical information about people who have been in their care for whatever reason. They can also provide some information regarding those who have been an officer or otherwise of some note in the Salvation Army, and you may find an obituary in the army’s periodical, the War cry, which is held at the Salvation Army headquarters in Wellington. Further details, including research fees and contact details, are provided on their web site. http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/research-media/archives-heritage/

Those with Lutheran ancestors (many were German or Danish), should check the Archives collection at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. You may also contact the President of the Lutheran Church New Zealand. The Lutheran Archives AUSTRALIA is the official repository of historical material relating to the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) and it also holds a limited collection of records from New Zealand.

The Baptist Church has a history in New Zealand dating back to the 1850s. Some of the church’s records can be found in the Hocken Collections http://hakena.otago.ac.nz/nreq/Welcome.html

The New Zealand Jewish Archives opened in 1980. The Archivist, Mr. Michael Clements MNZM JP, assisted by volunteers, will answer well-posed enquiries bearing on genealogy and family history. A donation towards the archives is expected for such enquiries. Contact information and more about the collection can be found at their website http://www.nzjewisharchives.org/

NZ Genealogy Toolbar

2010-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

There are so many great tools and gadgets out there now to organize our web based research. One of those is custom created toolbars for your browser. I've created a toolbar with links to many of the websites I visit most during my research. It's free, safe, installs (or uninstalls) in seconds. If you'd like to add it to your browser, go to http://nzgenealogy.ourtoolbar.com/

Passenger Lists - Victoria, Australia Outwards to New Zealand

2010-01-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

The NZSG (New Zealand Society of Genealogists) has a new CD for sale - passenger lists from Victoria, AU to NZ. Transcription of passenger lists of the ships leaving Victoria, Australia for New Zealand ports, as contained in VPRS 948 Outward Passenger Lists 1852-1923.

Buller District Cemeteries

2010-01-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

Buller District (WEST COAST REGION) now has online, searchable database for Orowaiti, Mokihinui, Reefton and Boatmans Cemeteries at http://www.bullerdc.govt.nz/main/cemeteries/

Newspapers

2010-01-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

I don't live in New Zealand, but if I did, there are many places I'd visit to pursue my genealogy research. One of those would be the local library for each town/city that my research subjects lived in. A few of the larger libraries have searchable online databases (such as the Auckland City Library), but most genealogical research material can only be viewed by going to the library. One key resource is newspaper archives. PapersPast.com is an excellent resource, but many of the newspapers published in NZ are not available there. Here is a sampling of some of those newspapers:

If your ancestors are Roman Catholic or of Irish origin you may wish to have a look at the New Zealand Freeman’s Journal (1879-1887), a weekly Catholic journal published in Auckland. It carried general news items, family notices, news items from Ireland as well as advertisements and could help fill some of these gaps in your research.

For those with Yugoslavian ancestors the Auckland City Library has (on microfilm) several issues of Napredek (Progress) written in the Croatian language and published irregularly in Auckland from December 1906 – June 1909. As well as publishing news from Yugoslavia and beyond, it includes items like marriage notices, reports of weddings, advertisements etc providing a rich resource for family historians.

It may be possible to track ancestors linked to the Thames gold mines in the following titles - The Times and Thames Miners Advocate, dated February 1869, followed by The Mail, March 1870. These were followed by the Thames Guardian and Miners Record, published 1871-72 and the Advocate and Miners News published 1874-1899. Both titles published a range of content from business advertisements, local news and court reports to issues and events surrounding the mining industry and land ownership.

The Waitemata Post 1910-1914 continued by the Waitemata News 1914-1917 provides a glimpse of life on the North shore. Covering Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead it provides a great source for North Shore news, issues and events including news from the Borough Councils, some personal notices, and even news of people entering and leaving the area.

8 Million passengers names!

2010-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Archives New Zealand recently completed the job of digitising some eight million names of passengers who arrived in NZ via ship between the years of 1840-1972. They will make the data available online in 2010.

Legacy Genealogy Cruise

2010-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

The 7th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, held November 8-21, 2010, starts and ends in Sydney, Australia and visits the following New Zealand ports: Fjordland National Park, Dunedin (Port Chalmers), Christchurch (Lyttelton), Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and Bay of Islands. Offers genealogy classes at sea. Learn more at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2010.asp

2009-09-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Back after a three week holiday in California. Not much news. Records of the four Invercargill and Bluff cemeteries plus the Southland Crematorium are now online - a total of more than 50,000 records. Link here

A short history of immigration to New Zealand

2009-08-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

New Zealand, unlike the various British colonies in Australia, was never a place of convict settlement and so migrants to the country from the UK arrived as free settlers. While the two main islands making up New Zealand – North Island and South Island – had first been charted by Europeans in the 17th century, it was not until the late 18th century that European settlement took place there. It is estimated there were only 50 Europeans resident there in 1800 compared to between 100,000 and 200,000 Maoris.

The growth of the British colony in New South Wales, Australia, saw a rise in trade with Maoris for items such as flax and timber, but it was not until 1826 that the first attempt at colonisation of New Zealand from here took place, when two shiploads of immigrants arrived. However, many found conditions in the new country too harsh and resettled in New South Wales, leaving only a few hardy types behind. In 1840, British sovereignty was declared following the Treaty of Waitangi, whereby Maori chiefs ceded overlordship to Queen Victoria in return for protection of their lands and rights.

At this time, there were about 1,200 European settlers in the North Island and around 200 in the South Island and these numbers steadily grew over the next 20 years or so. However, the main era of immigration came in the late 1850s and early 1860s following the discovery of gold in the islands. In one month in 1861, more than 14,000 people arrived at the port of Dunedin and by 1867, there were over 217,000 Europeans in the colony.

Free settlers and assisted immigrants continued to flood into the country and by the end of the 18th century, European numbers had reached nearly 750,000. In contrast, the Maori population had declined due to diseases brought by the Europeans and also the effects of the Maori Wars (1844-1872).

By the end of the 18th century, there were just over 42,000 Maoris in the islands. Migration continued in the 20th century and, like Australia, New Zealand saw an upsurge in the numbers arriving from the UK in the period after the Second World War.

Many settlers travelled directly from Britain, but there was also a large amount of traffic with New South Wales and so often the New Zealand colonists of the 19th century may have travelled via Australia, where they may have lived for months or years. Many white New Zealanders of European descent, or “Pakeha”, will probably have no more than five or six generations of ancestors, given the fairly recent nature of the main migrations.

The majority of British immigrants came from England simply due to the larger home population but Ireland and Scotland also contributed a large percentage of people.

Scottish Clan Societies in New Zealand

2009-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

I happen to do genealogy for the Clan Fraser Society in New Zealand, and I bet some of the other Clan Societies and Associations offer genealogy help also. Information on Clan societies in New Zealand:

Clan Fraser
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLachlan Society of New Zealand
Clan MacMillan Society of New Zealand
The Clan MacRae Society of Australia & New Zealand
Clan Forsyth Society New Zealand
Jardine Clan Society of New Zealand
Clan Keith Society of Australia & New Zealand
Clan MacNicol Society New Zealand
Clan Ross Association New Zealand
Waipu Caledonian Society & Highland Games
Clan Donald, Auckland and Districts Society
Scottish Clans Association Auckland District
Clan Cameron Association of New Zealand
Clan Stewart of New Zealand
Clan Gunn in Christchurch NZ
Canterbury Caledonian Society
Turakina Caledonian Society Inc.- New Zealand's
House of Gordon New Zealand

Those Irish Roots

2009-08-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

I find researching those in my tree from Ireland a little too much of a challenge, but here's a couple of links worth a try:

Irish Genealogy at http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/

Belfast's Clifton Street cemetery records online

For the Ulster area try the Ulster Historical Foundation site

Irish Family History Foundation Online Genealogy Databases for Ireland

The University of Glasgow Story at http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/ provides access to the details of the 13,000 people who graduated from the University of Glasgow from its foundation in 1451 until 1896.

Ireland's 1911 census website. Returns for Cork, Donegal, Wexford, King's County and Galway can now be searched at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

Things should improve for Irish genelaogy in 2011 when the Northern Ireland BDM records go online at the General Register Office for Northern Ireland

NZ Shipping database

2009-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

The New Zealand Society of Genealogists continues work on their shipping database. You can search it (no membership required) at http://www.genealogy.org.nz/Shipping_Database_362.aspx

Canadian Naturalization Database 1915-1932

2009-07-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ottawa, July 22, 2009 - Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the Canadian Naturalization 1915-1932 online database. It now includes the names of 206,731 individuals who applied for and received status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932. This database is one of the few Canadian genealogical resources specifically designed to benefit those researchers with roots outside of the British Commonwealth. References located in the database can be used to request copies of the actual naturalization records, which are held by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
The database is available at: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/naturalization-1915-1932/index-e.html.

New Zealand Obits at Ancestry

2009-07-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ancestry.com just updated their obituary collections for Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Caribbean, UK and Ireland and the US.

About Australia and New Zealand Obituary Collection
The collection contains recent obituaries from hundreds of newspapers. We scour the Internet daily to find new obituaries and extract the facts into our database. We also provide source information and links to the full obituary text. If you're searching...

For more information about this database, click here.
The collection contains recent obituaries from hundreds of newspapers. We scour the Internet daily to find new obituaries and extract the facts into our database. We also provide source information and links to the full obituary text. If you're searching for a recently deceased ancestor, a living relative who might be mentioned in an obituary, or former classmates or neighbors then this is a great place to start.
The wealth of genealogical and biographical information to be found in an informative obituary certainly makes the effort of searching for one worthwhile. For many of our ancestors (and relatives), the obituary is the only "biographical sketch" that was ever devoted to that individual. In addition to names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and death, the obituary often identifies relationships of the deceased as child, sibling, parent, grandparent, etc., to numerous other individuals. Obituaries may even suggest other documentation of an individual's death - a death certificate in another county because the hospital was located there; church or cemetery records (by identifying the place of burial or the officiating minister); or records of a coroner's inquest because the death was sudden or unexpected. And, of course, the wealth of detail in an informative obituary may open up many research avenues.

In an obituary search, it is necessary to investigate the files of all likely newspapers. It is impossible to know beforehand which, if any, paper is going to have the best or fullest obituary. Many cities have more than one paper and an obituary for a specific individual could appear in more than one place. Also, when considering possible obituary sources don't just check in the community where the individual died - also check the community (or communities) where the individual lived. Many people in their later years go to live with children and often die far from where they spent most of their adult lives. But, if they still had connections with the home community, there is a good chance that an obituary will appear there, perhaps a more detailed one than will be found in the community of death, where that person was just a new or temporary resident. However, the opposite may also be true.

To search thoroughly for obituaries from past newspaper editions, the best approach is to use a variety of tools including Ancestry's Obituary Collection, Ancestry's Historical Newspapers collection, and offline research through local libraries and newspaper offices.

TalkingScot.com back online

2009-07-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

The TalkingScot.com message forum is back online. Has a special section for New Zealand.

Scottish Newspaper Archive

2009-07-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

The Scotsman Digital Archive: Here you can search every newspaper published between 1817 and 1950. Find significant moments in the history of Scotland, major historical world events or discover if your ancestor appears in our births, marriages and deaths notices, or even in a news story.

64M UK MARRIAGE RECORDS NOW FULLY SEARCHABLE ONLINE

2009-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ancestry.co.uk and FreeBMD partner to launch fully indexed General Registers Office marriage indexes

30th July 2009

Just months after launching the fully indexed General Registers Office (GRO) England and Wales birth records, Ancestry.co.uk, in partnership with FreeBMD, has made the complete marriage records for England and Wales, 1837 to 2005 available and fully searchable online for the first time.

The 64 million GRO marriage indexes now available on Ancestry.co.uk are composed of two separate collections. The first is the 1837 to 1915 marriage index, which was transcribed by FreeBMD, a group of independent volunteers dedicated to transcribing civil registration birth marriage and death records for England and Wales.

The second is the 1916 to 2005 marriage index, which has been transcribed by Ancestry.co.uk.

Previously, the GRO marriage index was indexed by surname range only. A search would return a list of all pages on which the searched name might appear, referenced by the first and last name on those pages only. Now, every name, marriage date and district in the GRO marriage index is individually searchable and includes:

Year
Year quarter
Name of spouse (from 1916, when the GRO began recording this information)
District (each county in England and Wales was divided up into registration districts)
Volume
Page number

Ancestry.co.uk and FreeBMD are currently working to fully index the GRO death indexes. When complete, more than 250 million individual birth, marriage and death (BMD) records will be fully searchable – only on Ancestry.co.uk.

As ‘core’ record sets for all family historians, this major enhancement to Ancestry.co.uk’s BMD collection will be of significance to all UK family history researchers.

Ancestry.co.uk Managing Director, Olivier Van Calster comments: “Birth, marriage and death records are among the most important of all historical documents and by making them fully searchable, family historians around the world will now be able to discover even more of their ancestors, and much faster.

“By the end of this year all of our England and Wales birth, marriage and death indexes will be fully searchable, which will be a breakthrough for anyone researching their family history online.”

FamilySearch Indexing: New projects for New Zealand

2009-07-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

New indexing projects added in July: New Zealand—Passenger Lists, 1871–1915(this project is just starting and not available for search yet)

Go to http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html

GPS Technology Used To Create New Zealand Cemetery Database

2009-07-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Wairarapa residents may soon be finding their long lost aunty from Tinui without ever leaving home using the latest satellite technology.

Wairarapa Archivist Gareth Winter said he suggested the Masterton District Council add data from cemeteries not yet on its online burial register, but use GPS technology to give it a little extra information.

A few weeks ago, photographs of headstones at Tinui cemetery were taken and the GPS location of each headstone recorded to create a database where, in the future, families and historians could use the internet to see precisely where their ancestors are buried.

You can read the rest of the story at http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/gps-technology-used-to-create-cemetery-database/3901914/.

NZ Post Office Directories

2009-07-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Directories are books which are designed to provide specific information about particular people. The directories discussed here were business-residential directories, lists of householders along with their addresses and occupations. Directories of this type were usually published annually and often contained elements of the almanac which had preceded them. The purpose of business-residential directories was, and still is, commercial: to bring buyers and sellers together. They were produced in large numbers in New Zealand from the 1860s and, while they are still produced in a reduced format, their popularity began to dwindle in the 1950s with the emergence of the telephone book and the yellow pages.

The first business-residential directories produced in New Zealand were based on English examples. They were compiled, published and distributed by immigrants, usually British. Yet the conditions that publishers such as Henry Wise, John Stone and Arthur Cleave met in the colony were radically different from those they had encountered at 'home'. Directories had existed in Britain since the street guides of Elizabethan times, but the rural, under-populated and non-mechanised society of New Zealand was very different from the highly urbanised factory economy of 19th-century Britain.

Directories in New Zealand fulfilled three main functions: to boost the local and regional economy by bringing producer and consumer together; to provide a compendium of useful information to benefit the local population as well as the would-be migrant; and to create in printed format a resource which would help meld isolated communities together.

Directories commonly contained as many as eight distinct sections. These included an almanac, an alphabetical list of residents, a list of occupations together with names of those who practised those jobs, a street directory, official information pertaining to local and central government, non-official information, advertisements, and a selection of maps. In the earliest directories, those which preceded the publications produced by Wise and Stone, the almanac was an essential ingredient. An almanac gave directions for the current year in the form of tide tables, new constellations, seasons, the physical landforms and so forth. It was of great assistance to early settlers because subsistence farming and fishing helped those newly arrived through lean patches.

Between 1840 and the early 1870s there were literally dozens of directories published annually throughout New Zealand. Nearly all of these were regional, providing information about the local community. Most small directories were produced by newspaper proprietors. Moody's Royal Almanac for the Year 1842 was the first almanac ever printed in New Zealand. It included a trade and official 'Directory of names, &c.'. Other early directories included Chapman's Auckland Provincial Almanac and Goldfield's Directory of about 1869, and further south the Otago Almanac and Directory, published between 1858 and 1859 by William Lambert of the Otago Colonist newspaper. These directories were not only for local consumption: Lyon & Blair's 1876 Almanac and Descriptive Handbook of the Province of Wellington answered 'the questions continually asked by the people at home [the United Kingdom]' and the provincial government ordered 500 copies for sale in Great Britain.

There were two early efforts at providing New Zealand with a national directory. The first was The New Zealand Directory published in Melbourne and Wellington between 1866-67 and 1867-68. The second was Wright's Australian and American Commercial Directory and Gazetteer published in New York in 1881 and 1882-83. These were short-lived and it was not until Wise's went national in the early 1870s that New Zealand finally had a directory of some substance which was destined to survive for over 100 years. Between the early 1870s and the mid 1950s, three firms dominated the market. These were the directories published by H. Wise & Co. (NZ) Ltd, directories published by Stone Son & Co. Ltd, and Cleave's directories which covered the Auckland provincial district. Their directories represented a break with the past because the almanac component was either dropped (by Wise) or included (by Stone, but only reluctantly). What Wise and Stone also had in common was a desire to promote large scale business, both within the colony and between New Zealand and other countries, most notably Australia and Great Britain. Wise was to create the country's premier national directory while Stone (in conjunction with Cleave) produced its provincial directories.

Wise produced his first directory of Dunedin in 1865 and in 1872-73 went national with his Wise's New Zealand Commercial Directory. In 1881, Wise won permission to refer to his directory as the official New Zealand Post Office directory. Wise's continued to publish their mammoth directories in a single volume until the mid-1950s, when they adopted the provincial format copied from Stone's, who had ceased producing directories in 1954. Wise's continued producing directories from their Dunedin office until 1972 when they sold the publication rights to Universal Business Directories in Auckland, who still produce them today, albeit in a reduced format (and now also on CD-ROM).

John Stone's first directory of Dunedin appeared in 1884 and within three years it had grown to include all of Otago and Southland. By 1891 Stone was producing a directory of Wellington and by the turn of the century Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and Westland were included too. For the next 60 or so years, Stone was a formidable rival to Wise. As Stone's directories did not include the Auckland provincial district, his position was strengthened by his 40-year working relationship with Arthur Cleave. Cleave's directories covered the Auckland provincial district between 1889 and 1930. The last of Stone's directories were published in the mid 1950s, after which time the cost of producing such a detailed work became untenable.

By the late 1960s Wise's, too, were having problems in sustaining the production of such a publication. Smaller, nimbler rivals such as Cook's New Zealand Business Directory, which listed occupational groupings only, had emerged in the mid 1930s, as had the Business Who's Who. In addition, the postwar growth of New Zealand's cities meant canvassing on foot was no longer feasible. There were more towns, too, as company towns like Tokoroa (a forestry town) and Twizel (built to house hydro-electric workers) emerged. As the number of domestic dwellings increased, so had the numbers of telephones, as well as a newer reliance upon the telephone directory and its Yellow Pages. The Equal Pay Act 1972 made the cost of paying female canvassers prohibitive. All these factors conspired against Wise's.

Information for the three main sections of business-residential directories (the alphabetical list of names, the names attached to the list of occupational headings, and the streets directory) was acquired by means of a house-to-house canvass of the country's metropolitan areas and of homes in the surrounding countryside. The name of the head of the household was listed, as well as male lodgers aged 18 years and over (21 years in some cases). The spouse was excluded unless he or she owned property on his or her own account, as were children over the age of 15, even if they were in the workforce. Those who only rented property were also usually excluded. Official information (such as customs tariffs) was gleaned by writing to the particular government department concerned. Non-official information (such as the names and opening hours of recreational bodies, cultural societies and church groups), was had, again, by writing to the representatives of those bodies. Maps were seldom compiled from scratch as copies of local street maps were usually provided by a local printer or by the town council. For maps of the country, the assistance of the Surveyor General was usually called upon. Business houses were solicited for advertisements.

In the case of small directories, the publisher was usually the owner of a newspaper who had ready access to type, paper and the necessary printing skills. When directories grew larger, a local printer or publisher was commissioned to produce the item. Stone's, operating from Dunedin, at first used the presses of the Evening Star. Later they bought their own presses, not only because it was cheaper but because the production schedules were tight and the company could not afford to allow their printing needs to become secondary to those of the Star.

Both Wise and Stone encouraged buyers to take out subscriptions to their directories. This made the economics of producing directories easier as the number of directories to be printed could be estimated with some accuracy. Copies were also available through most bookstores and from catalogues. Wise and Stone aimed not so much at the householder but at those in business: hoteliers, mercantile houses, and manufacturers. Wise's, however, as the publisher of the country's quasi-official directory, had to provide one free reading copy in each Post Office.

It is remarkable that for such a small country, New Zealand should have possessed not one, but two firms producing outstanding directories, three, if Cleave's is included. Clearly the emergence of significant directories rested largely with the personal initiative displayed by Henry Wise, John Stone and Arthur Cleave. Wise's directory had succeeded in part because the Post Office had assisted him, while Stone and Cleave had boosted their fortunes by promoting those of the provinces. But there are other reasons. Nineteenth-century New Zealand was settled by Europeans whose culture was a print-based one and they needed a printed resource which helped them come to terms with, and understand, a new country. Secondly, New Zealand was settled by small craftsmen and -women, and the business-residential directories described in this section were a necessary aid to people in business who had neither the time, expertise or finances to advertise their wares and skills for themselves.

There have been few studies of the directory-publishing industry in New Zealand. Keith Maslen's pioneering study of Wise's directories which appeared in the BSANZ Bulletin in 1988 was a start. Maslen's study was complemented by a 1995 study of Stone Son & Co. (coincidentally Wise's rival) by Michael Hamblyn in the same journal. This was followed by the same writer's 1996 thesis 'Kei hea to whare? Titiro ki roto: John Stone's New Zealand directories 1884-1954'. Prior to this research, A.C. Penney of Wellington had produced Almanacs and Directories: The Alexander Turnbull Library Collection of New Zealand Almanacs and Directories (1979). In 1994 Donald Hansen published The Directory Directory, based on the holdings of libraries nationwide. Another recent publication is Maslen's 1994 'Early New Zealand directories: a brief guide' which details almanacs and directories held by the Hocken Library in Dunedin.

Future research remains to be carried out on almanacs and directories printed in Māori. As well, work on the emergence of the telephone directory and the Yellow Pages needs to be done. This is particularly so as the telephone directory played a major role in dislodging the business-residential directory from its position of pre-eminence. Research is also needed on more recent directories specialising in sport, commerce and the arts, such as the Air New Zealand Almanac published between 1982 and 1989.

Source: http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-GriBook-_div3-N122D9.html

New NZ Databases at WorldVitalRecords.com

2009-07-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.worldvitalrecords.com has added two new databases for New Zealand:

New Zealand PO Directory 1892-93 (Wise) and New Zealand Gazette 1883

NZ Records added to WorldVitalRecords

2009-07-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Just Added - New Zealand Databases at WorldVitalRecords.com

These records are courtesy of The Archive CD Books Project. The Archive CD Books Project exists to make reproductions of old books, documents and maps available on CD to genealogists and historians, and to cooperate with local libraries, museums and record offices in providing money to renovate old books in their collection, and to donate books to their collections, where they will be preserved for future generations.

Industries of New Zealand. 1898 (available 7/2/2009)
This volume summarizes the level of industry and commercial development across New Zealand town by town. It devotes a significant section (over 300 pages) to examining individual commercial activities in some detail. It contains numerous biographies and hundreds of photographs of the industries and people of New Zealand.

Early History of New Zealand. 1890 (available 7/3/2009)
This volume of extensive material and illustrations covers the history of New Zealand from the first contact by Europeans prior to Tasman through to Cook and the French in the late eighteenth century. The first section also examines the missionary and settlement period to 1840 in detail. The second part covers the period of British settlement from 1840. A very useful list of visitors and residents 1642 to 1839 is included along with their residence. A second list of the founders of the British Colony 1840-1842 is also included.

Six Colonies of New Zealand. 1851 (available 7/6/2009)
The author of the 1851 work, Six Colonies of New Zealand, Sir William Fox (1812-1893) was an explorer, businessman, politician and author. He was one who helped shape the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852. He also served as the nation's Prime Minister for a period. After emigrating to New Zealand with his wife in 1842, Fox became editor of the New Zealand Gazette and Britannia Spectator. He became an agent for the NZ Company the following year and it's Principal Agent in 1848. His lobbying in England (1851-52) was probably responsible for the addition of Taranaki to the five original provinces in the Constitution of 1852, which granted self-government.

Published in 1851, this book is Fox's description of the events leading up to the Constitution. It gives statistical and descriptive accounts of each New Zealand colony, as well as details relating to the Maoris, and government. Fox's leading role as an explorer, NZ Company agent and one of the first colonial politicians gives this book an authority and pungency lacking from so many other contemporary accounts.

The History of Otago: Origins and Growth (available 7/7/2009)
The History of Otago: The Origins and Growth of a Wakefield Class Settlement was written by A.H. McLintock in 1949 and dedicated to the pioneers of the area. 'Those humble souls, who, having little except faith, achieved much'.

The contents of this book includes a description of the early history of Otago, an area of the South Island of New Zealand. It also contains information about the history of the Maori people who occupied the area. There are details pertaining to the sealing and whaling years and early settlements of European communities and the provincial era of Scottish settlers.

The New Zealand Division 1916 - 1919 (available 7/8/2009) Free for Ten Days!
This book was published in 1921 because of a request made by the New Zealand government to provide the general reader with a descriptive and informative account of the movements and engagements experienced by The New Zealand Division during the First World War.

Written in narrative form, the information was derived from a wide range of records which were used to create a historically accurate account of the experiences of The New Zealand Division. These records include war diaries from units within the Division, operation orders and summaries, as well as personal diaries, private letters, and dispatches to name a few.

Divided into 17 chapters, the book documents the different battles and movements of The New Zealand Division, such as the Battle of Stomme in 1916 and the Battle of Messines. Illustrations are included throughout the book, providing a wider glimpse of the experiences encountered by the Division.

Famous Kiwi Russell Crowe Genealogy Book

2009-07-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Where The Crowe Flies is a new book about the documented family history of actor Russell Crowe. It traces his family history around the globe. Learn about his ancestors and what brought them to New Zealand.

WW I - NZ born, but served in Australian Military

2009-06-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's not uncommon to run across ancestors who moved back and forth between New Zealand and Australia. If you had an ancestor who made the move prior to World War I, and who was of an age to serve during the war, you should check the AIF Project website - AUSTRALIAN ANZACS IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-191. The link below lists those who were born in New Zealand.

The AIF Project - Born in New Zealand

New Zealand's Search Engine

2009-06-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

Try doing a search on the term 'genealogy' to locate resources.

Otago Nominal Index

2009-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

If you had ancestors that lived in the Otago Region, then be sure to try a search at the Otago Nominal Index. Once your search results come up, click on the surname and further information will appear.

Genealogy Blog Finder

2009-06-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of blogs out there that deal with genealogy, many tied to a specific location, such as this blog. You can search for a genealogy blog related to your specific interests at GenealogyBlogFinder

Western Australian post office directories online

2009-06-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

Post office directories for Western Australia have been made available online at www.slwa.wa.gov.au/find/guides/wa_history/post_office_directories . They cover the period from 1893-1949.

2009-06-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

FamilyRelatives.com plans to add New Zealand records soon. I guess I'll have to buy a subscription! Thank goodness my husband doesn't have a clue how much I spend on my genealogy "hobby"!

Two New Databases Online

2009-06-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

I put a database with just over 1,700 cemeteries located in New Zealand online today. You can search by cemetery name, town, district or region. Click to View.

I also took several small lists from town directories, etc (most from the Wellington area) and put them into an online database (over 4,200 entries). Search by surname. >Click to View.

UK Church Database

2009-06-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

If you trace an ancestor back to the UK and would like to find what churches were in the area they lived in, you can enter the town name in the UK Churches Database

This is pretty handy for those who want to track down parish records.

Presbyterian Church Records Index Search

2009-05-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

I've always felt that the NZ Presbyterian Church Archives web wite was a great resource, but because there is no searchable index to the over 70,000 records they list on the site, I seldom found what I was looking for. So I spent several days creating a searchable index of the records. If you find a record you're interested in go the Presbyterian Church Archives web site to learn more.

Search the Presbyterian Church Records Index

WorldVitalRecords.com

2009-05-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

WorldVitalRecords.com

Oh great – another genealogy service that I feel compelled to join just in case that one vital piece of the puzzle is there. WorldVitalRecords.com launched in February. World Collection Membership is $119 (USD) for a year.

Here’s what they have so far for New Zealand Records:

Defenders of New Zealand & Maori History (13,823 records)
New Zealand Gazette 1876 (67,530 records)
New Zealand Gazette 1877 (82,848 records)
New Zealand Gazette 1878 (112,979 records)
New Zealand Gazette 1886 (138,880 records)
New Zealand PO Directory 1890 (Wise) (408,283 records)
Stevens & Bartholomews New Zealand Directory 1866-67 (45,272 records)

I gave it a try by typing in one of the less common surnames in my research – Ghezzi. Four hits in the New Zealand PO Directory 1905 (Wise). Yeap, it’s them.

Since so many Scots immigrated to New Zealand, let’s see what records they have for Scotland:

A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Volume 1 (52,460 records)
An Ordinary of Scottish Arms (39,336 records)
Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650 - 1775 (23,936 records)
Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale (14,534 records)
Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1896 (212,622 records)
Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: County Maps (196 records)
SCT Scotch Ancestry of President McKinley (1,708 records)
SCT Scottish Deaths 1747-1868 (13,585 records)
The Gazetteer of Scotland, 1882 (37,058 records)
The History of the Celtic Place Names of Scotland (40,909 records)

Other than maps and gazetteers not much else. A paltry 13,585 records in the death collection. I typed in the surname of Fraser and got 13 deaths. Here’s a sample of the information on one of the results:

Name: Fraser, Catherine
Relative: , ()
Relative's Occupation:
Residence: Beveridgewell
Death Date: 25 Nov 1847
Age: 62
Estimated Birth Year: 1785
Cause of Death: dropsy
Modern Cause of Death:
Parish: Dunfermline
County: Fife
Country: Scotland

A neat little map opens with a pointer to Dunfermline, a feature I like. Still, until they get more records online, might be better off using ScotlandsPeople.com for BDMs.

Roots Television - Pretty cool!

2009-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Bet you didn't know there was on online Televsion station for all of us genealogy addicts. Check out Roots Televsion

Shipping Manifest Database Project

2009-05-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

On and off for the last few months I've been building an Excel database of names from various passenger manifests from ships that arrived in New Zealand. I wanted to share the database but am too lazy to learn MySQL and PHP. Finally I flound a web site that offers an easy to create, searchable database for FREE. All you have to do is cut and paste your Excel spreadsheet into it. Only down side it that each database is limted to 100,000 entries and I know I'll have many more than that. Guess I'll split the list into seperate databases by the first letter of the surname when the time comes.

I've place the "beta" version of the database online. It seems to be working fine. Now I just have to keep adding to it! If you'd like to see the current version go to this link.

The Twisted Road of Genealogy Research and the problem with making assumptions.

2009-05-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Normal activity for me, doing some genealogy research for someone else. He sends a little information into to get me over a brick wall: “ My Mum's Mother was Esmee Joycelyn Wemyss (nee Burns) her Mother was Rhoda Burns nee Major and her Mother Annette Major nee Guzzi.”

Lets talk about Annette Guzzi Major. I soon find that her maiden name was Ghezzie, spelt with that ‘e’ on the end. Using the NZSG New Zealand Marriages 1836-1956 I find her marriage to Frederick Major in 1883. Now pop in the NZSG Burial CD and there are two more Ghezzie’s – Ada Sarah died 1944 and Alfred Ross died 1925.

Check the NZSG Index CD and I only get Annie (Annette) and Ada. We all know how surnames get mis-spelled, so I try “starts with” Ghezz for the surname. Eureka – lots of them with the surname Ghezzi. Why the heck did Annette have an ‘e’ on the end of her surname? Sort by date and the oldest entries are all children of Louis Ghezzi. Take a look at records on Louis and find his 1917 probate. His name is Louis or Luigi Ghezzi. Open PapersPast in my browser and there is a death for Luigi which says he was from Parma Italy.

Off to check ship manifests and there he is arriving in Auckland on the ship Reiherstieg in 1874. Wife and infant son with him. Hummmm, Annette must have been born in New Zealand after they arrived in 1874. Assume his wife Mary Ann Curtain is also from Italy. I’m thinking her real name was Maria Curtane or something like that.

Open the NZ Historical BDM web site. No birth on Annette or her husband Frederick Major. He sounds English to me anyways. Can’t find immigration/ship manifest on him. Order death certs on Luigi, Mary Ann, Annette, Frederick and a few other family members. Order marriage on Fred and Annie. Wait wait wait. Run to the mailbox ten times a day hoping for documents from New Zealand.

Documents arrive! What the heck? Annette was born at Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and Frederick was born Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Luigi’s death says he was from Borgo, Sandino, Italy. No problem, Borgo is small village near Parma. Why isn’t Annette on ship manifest with her parents? Unsolved mystery. Find out Fred was son of Samuel Major, a shoemaker from Ireland. Find Samuel came to New Zealand also. Luigi’s wife, Mary Ann, was born in Limerick Ireland! How did a guy from Italy end up married to a lady from Ireland with two kids born in South Africa? Guess they were both enroute to New Zealand, ship stopped at Cape Town and love was in the air.

Cruise the Ghezzi message board at Ancestry.com and find a living relative with information on Luigi. Luigi Ghezzi left Italy during the revolution of 1848. He had a price on his head for his participation in the revolution. He was later pardoned (and considered a hero) but had left the country by then. He ended up in Cape Town, South Africa. Here he met and married Irish immigrant Mary Ann Curtain in January 1861. The couple would have two children before being recruited by agents of the New Zealand Immigration Organization.

Looks like Fred Major’s mom, Harriet, died before he and his dad came to New Zealand. No death or burial records on her in New Zealand. His dad remarries in 1863 but not in New Zealand. Maybe Canada? Get his dad’s death printout. He was from Ireland, as was his second wife. Potato famine immigrants?

Many of my questions answered, but just about all my assumptions were wrong. Oh well, just another adventure climbing the genealogy tree.

Paid Genealogy Services

2009-05-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

During your family history research in New Zealand you will eventually come to your immigrant ancestor. To continue your research you’ll need to know which country they were born in and about when they immigrated to NZ. Answers to these questions might be found in several sources.

If they married in New Zealand, country of birth may be on the marriage printout.
If they died in New Zealand, it might be on their death printout.
If they are buried in NZ, it might be mentioned in their burial record
If you can find the ship manifest from their immigration, it might be mentioned on it.

I’ve already mentioned sources for these documents in previous posts.

Once you know the country of their birth you need to decide which genealogy service to use to continue your research. In many cases this will mean joining a paid research site such as Ancestry.com (or Ancestry.UK.com), ScotlandsPeople.com or FindYourPast.com.

The cost for subscriptions or the purchase of “credits” to view documents can quickly add up. You should visit each site before joining and check out which records they offer and determine if it will likely meet your needs. There are also many free web sites out there that may offer bits and pieces of information for your research. A good first place to start is at FamilySearch.org.

Ancestry.com offers a free 14-day trail. It has records for the USA, England, Scotland (transcript only of census, no images), Ireland, Wales, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man (amongst others). They offer three types of subscriptions, monthly, 3 month and annual. Unlimited viewing of all records.

Type	USD	NZD	GBP
Monthly	29.95	51.38	19.80
3-Month	83.85	143.85	55.41
Annual	299.40	513.60	197.88

To view what records they have go to http://www.ancestry.com/search/

FindMyPast.com offers UK BDM, census, migration and military records. They are also the source for the 1911 UK census. They offer pay-as-you-go vouchers, 6-month, or annual membership.

Type	USD	NZD	GBP
6-month	83.14	142.63	54.95
Annual	136.08	233.47	89.95

Pay-as-you go: 60 credits cost 10.52 USD, 18.03 NZD or 6.96 GBP. 280 credits cost 37.75 USD, 64.76 NZD or 24.95 GBP.

View how many credits you’ll be charged per document if using the pay-as-you-go method here.

ScotlandsPeople.com has no annual or monthly subscription service, strickly pay-as-you-go. For most records (such as the census) it will cost you 1 credit to view a page of search results (25 records per page) and another 5 credits to view and print the image.

Credits are purchased in increments of 30, which cost 9.08 USD, 15.57 NZD or 6 GBP.

View access charge here.

Ancestry.co.uk offers pay-as-you-go and monthly or annual subscriptions.

Type	USD	NZD	GBP
Monthly	28.67	49.18	18.95
Annual	235.20	403.32	155.40

Pay as you go options is 12 record views in 14 days for 10.50 USD, 18.03 NZD or 6.96 GBP.

Rootsweb.com was bought out by Ancestry.com, but still offers come useful services for those who register (for free). One of the benefits of a free account at Rootsweb is that those who do not belong to Ancestry.com (or Ancestry.co.uk) can post queries on the message boards. The message boards are "shared" by Ancestry.com, Ancestry.co.uk and Rootsweb, so it's a backdoor into the Ancestry community. Many of these message boards are regularly read by GENWEB county coordinators and others that do their best to answer queries.

British 19th century newspapers now online by subscription

2009-05-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Responding to expressions of interest from many quarters a database of two million pages of digitized and searchable 19th century British newspapers has just been made available for time-limited public subscription online here.

The database comprises 49 local and national titles from all parts of the UK. For example, the Ipswich Journal is available from January 04, 1800 to December 29, 1900.

You can search and view a snippet result for free, but need to subscribe to see full articles. The free snippet may be enough.

A 24-hour pass costs £6.99 allowing you to view up to 100 articles; a seven-day pass with 200 article views costs £9.99.

Welcome to the New Zealand Genealogy News Blog

2009-05-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Genealogy research in New Zealand can seem a bit difficult when you first attempt it because, unlike many countries, there is no large genealogy related website that ties all the various historical records together (such as Ancestry.com).

Unfortunately the New Zealand Census returns were not kept. However there are other resources available such as Wises Postal Directories, Electoral Rolls, Cemetery records, School rolls, Return of the Freeholders, Sheep Returns and the like. The problem is, few of these records are available online.

One recent boon for those researching ancestors from New Zealand is the "Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records" online search made available by the government of New Zealand.

Historical records mean information relating to:

1. Births that occurred at least 100 years ago
2. Stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago
3. Marriages and eventually Civil Unions that occurred 80 years ago
4. Deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago or the deceased's date of birth was at least 80 years ago.

http://bdmhistoricalrecords.identityservices.govt.nz/home/

An example of how this database can help you:

You know that your great-grandmother, Lillian, maiden name Henley, was born about 1880 in New Zealand. Go to the Birth search section, type in the surname Henley (don't type in her first name) and give a year range of 1870-1890. Find Lillian among the names displayed. If her parents names are listed, look to see if other children in your search results had the same parents.

Now you should have the exact birth year of your great-grandmother, hopefully names of your great-great grandparents, and possibly the names of some of their other children. Assuming that they got married a few years before the oldest child on your list, go to the marriage search page and type Henley in the GROOMS surname box and enter a year range of 5-10 years. If he shows up in the search results, your great-great grandmothers maiden name will be provided.

Now you want to know if your great-great grandparents were born in New Zealand. Assume they were 15-25 years old when they got married and go back to the birth search page and try to find them.

Bouncing back and forth between the birth, marriage and death search pages, you can quickly add to your family tree.

Goldminers of New Zealand

2009-05-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Central Otago Gold Rush (often simply called the Otago gold rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. Constituting the country's biggest gold strike, the discovery of gold in Otago led to a rapid influx of foreign miners - many of them veterans of other hunts for the precious metal in California and Victoria, Australia.

Previously gold had been found in small quantities in the Coromandel Peninsula (by visiting whalers) and near Nelson in 1842. Commercial interests in Auckland offered a £500 prize for anyone who could find payable quantities of gold anywhere nearby in the 1850s, at a time when some New Zealand settlers were leaving for the California and Australian gold rushes. In September 1852, Charles Ring, a timber merchant, claimed the prize for a find in Coromandel. A brief gold rush ensued around Coromandel township, Cape Colville and Mercury Bay but only £1500 of gold was accessible in river silt, although more was in quartz veins where it was inaccessible to individual prospectors. The rush lasted only about three months.
A find in the Aorere Valley near Collingwood in 1856 proved more successful, with 1500 miners converging on the district and removing about £150,000 of gold over the next decade, after which the gold was exhausted. (Source Wikipedia).

You can search an index to original records of people and companies mining in New Zealand during the period 1861 to 1872 at Goldminers of New Zealand

Early New Zealand Newspapers

2009-05-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Papers Past contains more than one million pages of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. The collection covers the years 1839 to 1920 and includes publications from all regions of New Zealand. It's free but getting the right combinations of keywords to limit the search results to a manageable number can be a challenge.

Locating a burial in New Zealand

2009-05-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

There are two main sources for finding where your ancestors were buried in New Zealand:

The New Zealand Burial Locator ver.2 CD available from the NZ Society of Genalogists and
Searching of online cemetery databases maintained by various District Councils in NZ

The New Zealand Burial Locator CD, which I own, is a great resource and must have for anyone doing extensive genealogy research on ancestors in New Zealand.

Public cemeteries in New Zealand are maintained by the District Council for the area they're located in. About 70% of these districts maintain searchable online databases. A list of the various District Councils, and the cemeteries they maintain, along with links to their online database (if available) can be found at the Clan Fraser New Zealand Cemetery page.

Shipping Manifests - New Zealand Bound

2009-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are many web sites that contain transcribed manifests for ships that brought your immigrant ancestors to New Zealand, but sadly no consolidated database that you can search. The New Zealand Society of Genealogists is, however, working on a consolidated database. A partial database is already available at their web site, but you must be a member to access it.

http://www.genealogy.org.nz/

The most complete source for shipping manifests that I'm aware of is the chronological list at the Clan Fraser Society of New Zealand's genealogy site. Ships are listed by arrival year, and if an online transcription exists, a link it provided.

http://www.clanfraser.org.nz/genealogy/shipmanifest.html

Other useful passenger lists can be found at:

Denise & Peter's Passenger Lists over 450 ships here
New Zealand Yesteryears
AUSNZ Passenger Lists Gateway
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
Passenger Lists to New Zealand
AncestorsOnBoard.com
Assisted Emigrants into Auckland Province between 1859 - 1872
English Assisted Immigrants - 1870's (Surnames A-L) (Surnames L-Z). Indexed from "The Farthest Promised Land" by Professor Rollo Arnold of Victoria University, Wellington
Passenger lists - England to New Zealand 1884-1910 Surnames A-C D E-G H-L M-S T-Z
Immigrant Ships to New Zealand From the United Kingdom & Ireland 1835 to 1910
Immigrant Ships to New Zealand From Countries Other than UK and Ireland 1835-1910
Migrant Ships Arriving in New Zealand 1839-1860
New Zealand Bound
Passenger arrivals at Port Chalmers 1848-1851
Assisted Immigrants from Donegal arriving in Lyttleton, New Zealand 1855 - 1874
Canterbury Association Passenger Manifests
Passenger Lists for - Otago - Port Chalmers - Dunedin
Passenger Ships at Bluff Before 1900