Menu
Museum home
Your museum
Visit the museum
Collection online
Rangahau - Research
Rangitaki - Blog
Help us do more
Contact us
Make a donation

Research and knowledge

Rangahau

Rangahau

Research

We hold an excellent range of books, photographs, and archives about the history of our region. The collection is for reference only, but you’re welcome to bring a camera to copy material, or we can scan and copy items for you for a small fee. You can contact us here. 

We also offer family research services, assisting visitors to access our collections or carrying out research on their behalf for a small fee.

Our curatorial team researches the provenance, significance, and stories behind objects — connecting them to the people, places, and events that shaped the West Coast. This research supports our exhibitions, publications, and education programmes, enriching the visitor experience and helping future generations understand and appreciate our shared history.

 

Frequently asked questions

Our researcher team can help you locate information you are looking for and suggest other lines of enquiry.

All you need to do is book an appointment in advance so we can ensure staff and resources available to assist you. Charges apply for all research undertaken. Our charges are detailed here.

Before you visit the Research Centre, check out these online research tools to see what you can find out about the subject or person you are researching.

 

  • Paperspast - a great place to start. Operated by the National Library, PapersPast is a searchable digital archive of New Zealand newspapers, magazines, journals, letters and diaries and Parliamentary papers.  The site is constantly being updated with new editions of documents added as funding allows.

 

  •  Archway - If you’re looking for official government  records concerning a person, place or subject matter – this is where you go. You can order copies of documents, photos, electronic records, or download those that are freely available. 

 

  • Births, Deaths and Marriage Records - This site allows you to search historic Births, Deaths and Marriage records . Birth dates records must be more than a 100 years old, Deaths and Marriage dates must be at least 80 years ago. Copies of death, birth and marriage records can be purchased from the site.  

 

  • Shipping Records - these are provided by NZ Archives via the FamilySearch website. 

 

  • Online Cenotaph - this is a great place to start for information on military records and New Zealand's involvement in domestic and international conflicts. This site is operated by Auckland Museum also has an excellent searchable database for the Boer War through to WWII.