Do you want to know the history of your street, suburb, community, local church or school? Looking for information on a building or public place? Here’s how you can find the information you're looking for.
Start by searching the library catalogue. Use the ‘Refine by’ menu to filter your search results.
Many local history items are reference only. You will need to visit the library or research centre that holds these items.
Auckland Libraries also provides access to a range of online databases. You can search for resources in these databases using our article search.
When researching the history of a place or building, try these online databases:
Local history, art, theatre, film and music references from Auckland newspapers and journals. These can now be viewed in Kura Heritage Collections Online.
Local History Online indexes, oral histories, and heritage images from North and West Auckland can now be viewed in Kura Heritage Collections Online.
Images, drawings and ephemera relating to the South Auckland and North Waikato areas from the 1870s to the present day. These can now be viewed in Kura Heritage Collections Online.
A selection of significant events from the history of the former Manukau City and adjoining areas. This collection can now be viewed in Kura Heritage Collections Online.
An alphabetical list of street names in the former districts of Auckland region to help with local history research.
Search for the original purchasers of land in the Auckland central business district, section and lot numbers, area, and year.
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, mahere, ephemera and oral history resources.
Find out more about our research services.
Some community libraries also have significant local history collections such as the East Coast Bays Library, Birkenhead Library, and Pukekohe Library. Go to our list of locations.
There are heritage institutions that hold collections and resources that may be useful to your research:
You can also check out Auckland Council archives to find:
