He Puoro tuku iho Heritage music

Discover how 600 years of music have shaped New Zealand’s soundscape. From early manuscripts to contemporary works, our Heritage Collections preserve voices, scores and publications of both New Zealand and international significance.

Explore treasures such as the Bescarien Missal of 1450, 18th-century printed music, and rare sheet music that spans every genre. 

The collection brings together music scores, lyric sheets, and modern sound recordings in a variety of formats from vinyl and cassettes to CDs, preserving the story of music across centuries.

View the music collection

Heritage music items are for reference only and cannot be borrowed. 

Have a research question? Get help from specialist staff by filling out the research enquiry form.

Featured music collections

God Defend New Zealand original score and lyrics

As New Zealand’s national anthem, ‘God Defend New Zealand’ is one of our most powerful symbols of national identity. This collection was inscribed on the New Zealand register of the UNESCO Memory of the World in 2013. See all Auckland Libraries inscriptions.

Waikato Waltz by E. Bergmann

Eduard Bergmann was Bandmaster of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Royal Irish Regimental Band, when they arrived in Auckland in 1863. He composed a number of works which were performed by his and other regimental bands, one of which was the Waikato Waltz. 

The Waikato Waltz was dedicated to Miss Janet Cherry, the niece of general Cameron whose house on Karangahape Road was the scene of many important social events to entertain officers.

New Zealand sound recordings collection

You’ll find a diverse collection of recordings by New Zealand artists in a variety of formats (vinyl, cassettes, CDs) in the Heritage Collections at the Central City Library. 

Use the listening facilities in the Reading Room to listen to vinyl, LPs, CDs or cassettes. Choose from our vast collection or bring your own records from home. You can also borrow duplicate copies of most reference materials (excluding LPs) from the library’s lending collection.

Made in Auckland collection

The Made in Auckland collection features unsigned artists across multiple genres, reflecting the creative output of local musicians from 2005 – 2012. Listen to this collection in the library by request as these items cannot be borrowed. 

Māori and Pacific music

Material for researching Māori music is available in Te Kohinga Matua collection at Research Central. Pacific music is available to read and borrow in CD format from many libraries. 

Notes on Tamaki: Heritage concert series

We collaborate with talented local musicians to bring these collections to life. With five classical concerts over the year, musicians perform classical pieces  in the Whare Wananga on Level 2 of the Central Library. 

Search upcoming library events for Notes on Tamaki to reserve your seats to this popular event series.

You can also listen to past heritage concerts on YouTube  or on Auckland Libraries' podcasts.

Want to donate to the collections?

We welcome discussions about potential donations to our collections. Find out what kinds of material we accept, how to contact us and what to expect from the process.

Learn more about donating.