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Introducing Auckland

Auckland City Council archives

Introduction | Search the archives | Family history | About the archival system | Visit our research room | Other useful resources

Family history

The information in this section is arranged by general types of records that may be of use in your family history research.

The list of records below is by no means exhaustive and will be updated as new material comes to light:

Cemetery records

We hold original records giving details of people buried at or purchasing plots in the Hillsborough, Waikaraka and Otahuhu Cemeteries. We also hold a number of administrative files for the Waikumete and Symonds Street Cemeteries.

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This extract, dating from 1902 is taken from the burial register of Otahuhu Cemetery and gives information on religion, occupation, residence, place of birth, place and date of death, age and the grave number. (OTB 120/1)
This extract, dating from 1902, is taken from the burial register of Otahuhu
Cemetery and gives information on religion, occupation, residence, place
of birth, place and date of death, age and the grave number. (OTB 120/1)

Council staff records

Staff appointment and salary records can contain information about former staff members such as:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • marital status
  • superannuation
  • date of appointment
  • department
  • position held
  • salary
  • education/qualifications.

Not all staff records are retained. Please note that privacy legislation applies to access to these records.  In some cases archives also holds photographs of staff.

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Dwellings and business records

Part of family history research can be to discover details about family homes, dwellings and businesses.

Dwelling and business records fall into two main groups:

  • records relating to building permit or consent applications and plans, and
  • file series dealing with dwellings, businesses and other buildings and properties.

A significant collection of records at archives results from the activities associated with council regulation of building. Dating from the early 20th century, these records include:

  • building permit registers and indexes
  • building applications
  • specifications
  • plans
  • committee and council minutes
  • correspondence with applicants and developers
  • records relating to inspections.

Access to these records is usually by the property name and/or street address of the property. The records contain the names and addresses of the owners of domestic and commercial buildings, as well as the names of their builders and architects.

The file series were generated by various business groups of the council, and deal with issues such as property subdivision, encroachments, health and sanitation, tenders and contracts, town planning, water and electrical services. Although people are identified in these records, sometimes locating them can be time-consuming unless you know of specific issues with which they may have been involved.

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This house plan for Mr LS Taylor is from Otahuhu Borough Council series of building permits (OTB 0000 064/5). Click on the image to view larger versions of the plans. This house plan for Mr LS Taylor is from Otahuhu Borough Council series of building permits.

Electoral or Burgess rolls

These are the rolls of people qualified to vote for members of the council. In addition to names, they give details of the elector's address, and sometimes a property description and values.

A number of these records have been indexed.

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Health

The records we have on health information are usually a product of an "inspection" or "reporting" relationship with local health authorities or a consequence of a major health issue e.g. an influenza epidemic, which a keyword search of the archives database will reveal.

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Extract from Environmental Health Register of Prosecutions, 1913 (AKC 376/1).

Extract from Environmental Health Register of Prosecutions, 1913 (AKC 376/1).
Click on the image to view a larger version.

Licences

Overtime councils have been responsible for the licensing of a variety of activities:

  • auctioneers
  • dogs
  • drivers
  • hawkers
  • street musicians
  • publicans

to name a few.

Records are arranged by the date the licence was issued or registered rather than the applicant's name and details. They include:

  • the name of the applicant
  • address
  • activity
  • date the licence was issued
  • often comments or remarks regarding cancellations, renewals or prosecutions.

A number of these records have been indexed.

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Illustrated are applications by Thomas Mullin to Auckland City Council for a Street Musician's License in 1921 (ACC 275/21/5 Box 35) and Frank Burns' Publican's License for The Ellerslie Hotel, 1900 (ELB 128/1). 
Click on the images to see larger versions of both licences.		 Thomas Mullin's application to Auckland City Council for a Street Musician's License in 1921. Frank Burns' Publican's License for The Ellerslie Hotel, 1900.

Mayors and councillors

If your family served as councillors or even as mayor, they will appear not just as attendees of meetings in the minute books, but also in a variety of other sources and lists. As an eminent citizen there will often be a photographic record too.

See a list of Auckland City area mayors.

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Minute books

Minute books of boards, councils and committees record all business discussed and decisions made in meetings. As such, they are key documents.

Although minute books are written in a formal manner they can provide details about individuals. In the early period, they dealt with correspondence from citizens and business people about issues concerning them or services they required.

Some of these minute books have subject indexes within them which makes searching by name easy.

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Example taken from the Onehunga Public Library Committee minute book, 1901-1904, which gives the names not only of the committee members who attended, but also lists those tendering for carrying out alterations at the library (OHB 110/1).
Click on the image to view a larger version.		 Example taken from the Onehunga Public Library Committee minute book, 1901-1904, which gives the names not only of the committee members who attended, but also lists those tendering for carrying out alterations at the library (OHB 110/1).

Occupations/pastimes

There are occasional series relating to occupations and pastimes found among the local authority records.

In addition, we have one block of records which are different from the rest of our holdings. These are the 13 series which make up the records of the Panmure Young Citizens Centre, years 1958-1996.

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Rating and valuation records

Example from the Karangahape Road District Valuation Roll for 1883 (KHB 002/1).
Click here to view a larger 
version of the Karangahape 
Road District Valuation 
Roll for 1883 (KHB 002/1).

These records provide basic ownership and descriptive information regarding properties throughout the city, the earliest dating from 1867 for the Mt Albert Highway District. 

Information includes:

  • occupier's and owner's names and occupations
  • a legal description of property
  • a brief description of the property, and
  • the valuation or rating value.

Access to these records is either by the owner's surname or street address.

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Updated September 2007
Copyright © 2007 Auckland City Council. All rights reserved.