28/08/2026
Are you researching your ancestors from Canterbury and the West Coast? Archives New Zealand in Ōtautahi have added a lot of new records to Collections search, and also enhanced the accessibility of some existing records. They include:
- Employees' dead service cards from Ministry of Works in Kaikoura,1921-1978
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search #/entity/aims-archive/29124/kaikoura-ministry-of-works-dead-service-cards-
(The rather morbid sounding “dead service cards” is a term meaning they were no longer employed with the department.)
- Court records from local Magistrate’s Courts, which can include court summonses and witness statements, 1881-1925
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search #/entity/aims-archive/18597/little-river-magistrates-court-criminal-files
- Immigration records documenting applications for subsidised immigration from Britain to New Zealand, 1963-1975 https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search #/entity/aims-archive/29121/department-of-labour---immigration---nominal-index-cards
- Immigration records documenting temporary permits to enter New Zealand, 1927-1970 https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search #/entity/aims-archive/28948/temporary-permits-to-enter-new-zealand
- Certificates of Registration granting immigrants re-entry into New Zealand, 1881-1980 https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en/web/arena/search #/entity/aims-archive/28620
Immigration records can include details such as date of birth or age, place of birth, place of residence, fingerprints, and a photograph.
We are also listing patient files, including patient files from Hanmer's Queen Mary Hospital and a surviving sample of Christchurch Public Hospital patient files. Contact Ask an Archivist for more information. https://www.archives.govt.nz/about-us/services-we-offer/ask-an-archivist
