Auckland Libraries: Researching historic events
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​Researching historic events

Te rangahau kaupapa whakahaere o nehe

Are you looking for information about a historic event? Here are some sources to help you out.

Search the library catalogue

If you are researching a historic event, there is likely to be variety of resources available in the library catalogue.  

After entering your search word or phrase, you will see a Catalogue tab and an Articles tab. Article results on a well-known event will most likely display a Research Starter. This contains a short history of the event and contains a list of bibliography materials you can look up as well.

Research start for Treaty of Waitangi.

Browse online resources

These are some of the online resources that can help you with your historic event research.

Index Auckland: local history, arts and music 

Local history references from Auckland newspapers and journals

World history in context 

Informaiton on events, periods and cultural trends and other research topics 

Ephemera Index 

Cards, posters, tickets, programmes, brochures and flyers from all over Auckland from the 1840s to present. 

Heritage Images 

A rich and diverse database of historical images and maps. 

Newspaper and magazine archives

To access digital archives, go to Family and local history online resources. Under All resources, select Newspapers. 

While some newspapers and magazines are digitised and can be found on Papers Past , those that aren't digitised can be viewed on microfilm at our research centres. 

These include copies of the New Zealand Herald, Auckland Star, New Zealand Truth, Auckland Weekly News, and New Zealand Women's Weekly. Ask your local research librarian for assistance if you're unfamiliar with using microfilm. 


Ask an expert

As your research progresses, you may need to: 

Each research centre has a unique collection and areas of speciality. They hold historical NZ Government publications, manuscripts, maps, ephemera and oral history resources.

Find out more about our research services. 


View online exhibitions 

There are Auckland Council online exhibitions  that commemorate major Auckland and New Zealand events. This includes a World War I exhibition and Timeline of Auckland Mayors Exhibition.