New Zealand General

This section contains links to electronic New Zealand General Resources that are useful for research.

Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records website is where you can search New Zealand Government records for births, deaths and marriages (BDM). The historic data available for you to search is limited so that information relating to people who might still be alive, can be protected.

The collected biographies of New Zealanders who have ‘made their mark’ on this country. Biographies originally published in the printed ‘Dictionary of New Zealand Biography’ series and in the parallel Maori-language series, ‘Nga Tangata Taumata Rau’.

The ENZB collection aims to provide a complete online full-text and keyword-searchable corpus of books about New Zealand which were published in the first two-thirds of the nineteenth century. Many of them have been available only in print, and in restricted library collections. Memoirs and collections of letters and journals from the period which were published later are also included. Accounts by early travellers are a prime source of information about traditional Māori society and culture as well as early European settlement.

INNZ contains abstracts and descriptions of articles from approximately 1000 publications. It covers publications from 1987 to the present day, and articles from older publications are being added retrospectively. Subjects covered on INNZ include general interest material, social research, the environment, science, agriculture, current affairs, the arts and humanities. Abstracts and descriptions are provided for: articles with at least half a page of text about New Zealand, New Zealanders or the South Pacific and its peoples; substantial reviews of New Zealand and Pacific books; Poems and short stories by New Zealand and South Pacific authors, regardless of length; Feature articles from the Dominion Post, Herald on Sunday, New Zealand Herald, Otago Daily Times, The Press and Sunday Star Times; Biographical articles.

Land Information New Zealand, Toitu Te Whenua. LINZ Topographic Maps is the Internet version of the New Zealand Topographic Database (NZTopo). It displays seamless coverage of the 1:50,000 scale topographic mapping of New Zealand.

Digitised New Zealand Acts from 1841 to 2007 as originally enacted in their original form, regardless or not if they have subsequently been repealed. The Acts are in PDF format and do not include any later amendments or show whether they have been repealed. For current legislation and enacted legislation and repealed legislation since 2007, visit the New Zealand Legislation website (http://www.legislation.govt.nz/).

Full text database containing selected New Zealand Court of Appeal decisions released by the Court since 1998.

A trial project based at the University of Auckland to set up an electronic gateway to poetry resources in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the Pacific region. It aims to coordinate existing archival and publishing information, and to present some full-text electronic publication of poetry and commentary in consultation with authors and their publishers.

New Zealand Birds Online is a searchable encyclopedic of New Zealand birds. You can find detailed information about all 467 species of New Zealand birds, including all living, extinct, fossil, vagrant and introduced bird species. The database is searchable by name, conservation status, and geographical distribution. Explore the site to read expert-written texts, listen to sound files of bird calls, and browse more than 8,700 photographs.

NZ On Screen is the online showcase of New Zealand television, film and music video.

New Zealand Treaties Online provides an official record of New Zealand’s binding legal obligations at international law. The database allows access to accurate and up to date information. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as the New Zealand repository of all treaties, is responsible for maintaining records of treaties to which New Zealand is party or to which New Zealand is in the process of becoming party.

Te Ara is a comprehensive guide to the natural environment, history, culture, economy, institutions, peoples and social development of this country. An important feature is its Maori content. Te Ara will be a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of New Zealand.

Library and Information Services Team