New Zealand genealogy

New Zealand genealogy research is the process of investigating those ancestors that were born in, lived in, or otherwise had a connection to the South Pacific island nation of New Zealand.

This research inevitably draws the family historian into the complex--and sometimes fraught--relationship between the indigenous Māori people, who first arrived almost a thousand years ago, and the descendants of British, European and other settlers who date from the second half of the 18^th century.

Indigenous Māori and their origin

The general Wiki article on New Zealand summarises New Zealand's history. A separate Wiki article on Polynesian ethnicity provides additional details on the Māori backstory.

Arrival of the Māori in New Zealand

Briefly Māori people are believed to have arrived from East Polynesia by canoe, in several waves over the first half of the 14^th century. According to the people of Ngāpuhi, a tribe of the far north, the first Māori explorer to reach New Zealand was an ancestor named, Kupe. Using the stars and ocean currents as his navigational guides, Kupe ventured across the Pacific on his waka hourua (voyaging canoe) from his ancestral homeland of Hawaiki, the original home of all Polynesians in their mythology. It is said that Kupe made landfall at Hokianga Harbour in modern NZ Northland. More waka hourua followed Kupe over the next few hundred years, landing in various parts of New Zealand. According to tradition Polynesian migration was planned and deliberate, with many waka hourua making return journeys to Hawaiki.

Today, every Māori is part of an iwi (tribe). This is a group of people who are descendants of a common ancestor and associated with a certain region or area in New Zealand. Iwi can trace their entire origins back to a specific waka hourua. Each iwi has their own hapū (clans or descent groups). The major social function of the hapū is to provide practical support for its members.

Māori genealogy (Whakapapa)

Whakapapa is a fundamental principle in Māori culture. Indeed, it is at the very core of what it means to be Māori. The literal translation of whakapapa is "to place in layers". It involves multiple layers and interpretations. Reciting whakapapa proclaims a person's Māori identity, places them in a wider context, and links them to their land as well as to their familial and social structures. The core elements of these structures are iwi, hapū and whānau (family).

Māori dancers performing the Haka (traditional war cry)

Whakapapa is passed down through the generations by way of oral tradition, storytelling, and genealogical charts:

• The practice of orally transmitting whakapapa through community elders is still prevalent today.
• Whakapapa is also physically documented and recorded for future generations, including through the use of rākau whakapapa -- notched sticks. With the introduction of writing, Māori people began writing whakapapa down. However, these manuscripts were considered tapu (sacred), and sometimes when the author died the manuscripts would be destroyed.
• The wharenui (meeting house) can also be seen as a physical manifestation of whakapapa. The oldest ancestors may be recorded at the top of the house, spreading outwards to the bottom of the house where all the most recent lines are traced. In this way linkages between people are shown.

Within whakapapa Māori last names hold profound cultural significance. They often trace lineage, connecting individuals to their ancestors and tribal heritage. Such names can represent a rich narrative, reflecting the person's family history, its accomplishments and spiritual connections. They embody the essence of Māori identity and cultural pride. Some names might reflect mountains, rivers, or personal qualities connected to that person.

British & other European settlers (Pākehā)

Scottish poster advertising emigration to New Zealand

New Zealanders of European descent are generally known as Pākehā by the Māori. At its broadest Pākehā can simply mean "any New Zealander who is not Māori". However, the term has no legal status in New Zealand and neither its origin or meaning is defined precisely.

As with the Māori, European settlers arrived in a series of waves, with Scotland initially the most important source country. A significant majority of Pākehā, estimated as high as 80%, can still directly trace their family roots to the United Kingdom. New Zealand also has a long history of intermarriage between Māori and Pākehā although accurate statistics on the historical and current scale of such marriages are limited.

New Zealand today is a multicultural country with diverse ethnicities. It comprises (in descending size) European, Māori, Asian, Pacific Islander and other communities with the first two still by far the largest.

How to get started with NZ genealogy research

As with all genealogical research the first place to look for all MyHeritage subscribers for New Zealand genealogy is MyHeritage's vast repository of historical records and other resources: see below for details.

Other key sources for New Zealand genealogical records are:

• The National Library of New Zealand and Archives New Zealand; also accessible through the New Zealand Government’s Official Website. These provide extensive databases and tools for researching family history. You can search for historical birth, death, and marriage records, shipping lists, military service and many other personnel records.

• The New Zealand Society of Genealogists provides resources and educational opportunities for individuals interested in New Zealand family history and genealogical research. The Society provides access to a variety of collections and projects, online newspapers, the UK National Archives and more. They also offer services like helping you purchase birth, marriage and death certificates from the United Kingdom. There are also other learning resources with a New Zealand focus to help with family history research.

Researching a Māori connection

A family historian may suspect that they or another person of interest has Māori ancestry, for example as a result of a MyHeritage DNA test.

To explore this possible connection, family knowledge is the place to start. Collect what you know about the person's family, such as the names of New Zealand parents, grandparents, or other ancestors. Talk to their extended family and friends and find out what they know. Next, compile and review all the physical information you have or can readily obtain. This includes birth, death, and marriage certificates, photos, family objects, even family heirlooms. Third, review all the known New Zealand location details. Where parents or ancestors were born, grew up, lived, and worked in New Zealand can provide important origin clues.

With this information assembled, investigate whether the person has, or is entitled to Iwi Registration. An iwi registration document is the primary and preferred method typically used to verify Māori ancestry. If the person has not already registered with their iwi, it is possible to do so online following a clearly described process.

Cost & availability

Many NZ records and resources relevant to family history are available online. However, searching for official historical birth, death, and marriage records through the NZ Government costs NZ$25 for a 3-year period and NZ$1 for each extra year. These search costs are additional to the cost of getting a physical certificate or printout. Note that you must pay for the search even if a record is not found.

Consistent with New Zealand privacy protection laws, information available without restriction is limited to births of living persons who were born 100 years or more ago, stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago, marriages and eventually civil unions that occurred at least 80 years ago and deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago, or where the deceased’s date of birth was at least 80 years ago.

Paid membership of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists is required to access most of its resources but many can be accessed at no cost at New Zealand libraries.

See also

• New Zealand
• Australia's First Fleet
• Australian genealogy
• Australian surnames
• South African emigration
• Māori surnames

Explore more about NZ genealogy

• MyHeritage includes 42 collections with almost 13 million New Zealand records across many areas of interest including birth, marriage and death records; burial & cemetery records; obituaries; government gazettes and other records; military records & documents; newspapers; and various volumes of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand recording the biographies of professional and tradespeople in specific areas of the country.

Family Legacy Tree NZ webinar

• Legacy Family Tree library includes a number of New Zealand-specific webinars, such as "Four Sources for New Zealand Family History"; "New Zealand Civil Registration"; "Tracing Australian and New Zealand World War One Ancestors"; "Researching Your New Zealand Ancestors" and "Ngā aho tāne o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa: Revitalising connections across the Pacific with Big Y" (interpreting Polynesian DNA tests).

• The NZ History website managed by the New Zealand government's Ministry for Culture and Heritage provides a very comprehensive list to additional resources that facilitate NZ genealogical research. This includes links to databases and other resources held by various libraries and local councils; a guide provided by Digital NZ for  those wanting to scan, digitise, or digitally copy old family pictures, records and documents; Goldrush Online where you can search the names of 50,000 goldminers from the goldrushes of New Zealand (1861 - 1872); New Zealand Defence Force Personnel Records for ordering military records of those who enlisted in New Zealand forces; Papers Past, the National Library of New Zealand's digitised collection of newspapers; various websites offering shipping and passenger lists; cemetery records; various archive guides; genealogical forums and much more.

• Many New Zealand families originated in Europe, and some may have emigrated to Australia first. Therefore, British and Australian family history resources can also be relevant in tracing someone's New Zealand ancestry.

• An online parenting site, Burbanmumz, includes a page devoted to Māori last names, listing the most popular names and their meaning as well traditional and unique Māori names.

References

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