History, culture and heritage
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Māori language, culture and heritage
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Te reo Māori (Māori language)
Māori became 1 of New Zealand’s 3 official languages in 1987. It’s a taonga (treasure) that our government works to protect.
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Māori culture and heritage
Māori culture is a big part of NZ’s identity, so respecting, preserving and promoting it is vital.
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New Zealand's history
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Places to start researching NZ history
Search old newspapers, find archives and websites on local and national history.
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Military history, records and medals
Search the records and medals of New Zealanders at war and get sources for doing your own military research.
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Get a copy of a WW1 service record
Archives New Zealand is in the process of putting the military records of everyone who served in World War I online.
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Māori history
Māori are tangata whenua — people of the land. They came to Aotearoa from Polynesia in the 13th century and created a new language and culture.
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Research your family history
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Search historical birth, death and marriage records
To find your whakapapa (genealogy), you can search old birth, death and marriage records.
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Search for family history records in New Zealand
You might be able to trace your family’s history in NZ through genealogy websites, old newspapers, or ships’ passenger lists.
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Get someone else’s birth, death, or marriage certificate
New Zealand birth, death, marriage, civil union and name change certificates are public records. In most cases, they can be ordered by anyone.
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Get help to find birth, death and marriage records
If you do not know the year of a record you're looking for, you can ask Births, Deaths and Marriages to search for it.
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