Local history

Our historic collection

Our Local History collection in the former Rodney Libraries is in the early stages of development. We have purchased copies of existing microfilms from the Alexander Turnbull Library:

• Rodney & Waitemata Times
• Kaipara & Waitemata Echo
• Hibiscus Coaster
• River Valley News

The Auckland Museum loaned the Library copies of the Rodney Times newspapers which were microfilmed so we now have an almost complete collection of papers from 1901-1955. These microfilms are housed at Whangaparaoa library.

Newly available: you can now view the March 1901 to December 1945 issues of the Rodney Times online, on the National Library’s Papers Past website.

Local History Online

Local History Online is a combined collection of local history indexes of the former Rodney, North Shore and Waitakere Libraries. The indexes can be used to research a local event, historical building, or notable local person etc. Indexes are continually being updated.

The Newspaper indexes cover selected articles in the community newspapers of former Rodney, North Shore and Waitakere. (The index to the Rodney Times is still in its infancy. Indexing is occurring retrospectively and content will increase over time. The aim is to eventually provide access to the content of all issues of the Rodney Times.)

The Image indexes cover digital image collections of the former North Shore and Waitakere Libraries.

Museums in the former Rodney District

Library staff are always willing to help with local history queries. For more information about early settlement in your area museums and historical societies provide a wealth of information.

• Albertland & District Museum - records and illustrates the settlement and development of the Albertland district, including its Maori history and its social, industrial, economic, commercial and family history.
• Couldrey House - Wenderholm Regional Park - provides information on the history of Couldrey House and its surroundings.
• Helensville Pioneer Museum - The Helensville & District Historical Society preserves and promotes South Kaipara's history.
• Puhoi Bohemian Museum - The Puhoi Historical Society records the early history of Puhoi, a settlement created by Bohemian (now Czech Republic) immigrants to New Zealand from the 1860's.
• Silverdale Pioneer Village - The Pioneer Village provides a time trail from the mid 1800s to the 1930s with a chapel, four houses, a post office, a museum and administration building, and gardens of the period.
• Warkworth & District Museum - The Museum Archives holds information on people, places, shipping and ship building, sporting events, businesses, and churches relating to Warkworth and the outlying districts.

Other useful databases

• The 28th Māori Battalion website is a place to record, remember, honour and maintain information and knowledge of the Māori Battalion and its outstanding contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand. This site and its related resources has been developed for the benefit of the remaining veterans, their families and for all New Zealanders.
• Cemetery Search is available to locate the burial records of people buried in the former Rodney District Council administered cemeteries.
• Cenotaph is a biographical database of New Zealanders who have died in the 19th century, from the New Zealand Wars and South Africa, through the First and Second World Wars to Korea, Malaya and Vietnam.
• Matapihi provides access to a selection of pictures, sounds and objects from New Zealand's archives, galleries, libraries and museums of places, events and people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
• NZ Museums features New Zealand museums and their collections. It is also a directory of museum locations, opening hours.