Collections and resources
Most of the collections at Research West are for in-library use, and cover an extensive range of New Zealand topics, including titles about West Auckland, Māori and Pacific titles, family and local history, New Zealand war history, migrant and minority history and more.
J.T. Diamond West Auckland history collection
John (‘Jack’) Thomas Diamond (1912-2001) was an amateur historian, photographer and archaeologist who dedicated over 60 years to researching and documenting the history of West Auckland.
His body of work includes, diaries, field notes, photographs, interview transcriptions, manuscripts, slides, and objects, such as photographic equipment and bricks, as well published material. It provides an insight into the social, industrial, and archaeological history of West Auckland spanning over 150 years.
See Kura Heritage Collections Online to view photos and records from the collection. The J. T. Diamond Collection has been inscribed onto the UNESCO Memory of the World New Zealand documentary heritage register.
Go to Kura Heritage Collections Online
Family history and whakapapa
Research West offers a wide range of genealogy and whakapapa research resources including:
- New Zealand and Māori Births, Deaths, and Marriages (BDM) indexes on microfiche
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The Western Leader and other local newspapers
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The New Zealand Herald from 1863 on microfilm
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New Zealand Gazette
- New Zealand-wide electoral rolls since 1982
- Family history books, magazines, and guides
- Māori Land Court Minute Books in print and on microfilm
- Access to Ancestry Library Edition, Find My Past, MyHeritage, and The Genealogist websites and other family history online databases, including international historic newspapers.
Specialist family history and Poukōkiri Rangahau Māori (Māori research librarians) are available to support you with your research. Contact Research West for more details and to set up an appointment.
Other collection highlights
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The Western Leader newspaper issues
- F. D. Mill Collection of late 1920s-early 1930s aerial photos
- Going West Writers’ Festival collection
- Auckland West Country Women’s Institute (CWI) collection
- West Auckland residents’ and ratepayers’ association collections
- Local schools and clubs’ collections
- Migrant and minority community collections, including material from the Dalmatian Genealogical and Historical Society, the Waitākere Indian Association, and the Asian Network.
Digital collections
Donations to the collection
Research West may accept donations of records, photographs, ephemera, oral histories and manuscripts with a West Auckland focus. Please contact Research West for more details, to schedule an appointment, or if you would like to view something in the archives.