Just a brief note to let you all know that our Kintalk blog has now merged with sister blog Heritage et AL. If you subscribe to Kintalk, then I encourage you to change your subscription over to Heritage et AL to be sure of being kept up to date with all the family history happenings, and to learn more about our heritage collections and heritage news.

Kintalk first went live in July 2008, originally edited and authored by Karen Kalopulu and the family history team; and was carried on in her name after she passed away in 2009.

Popular and information rich posts from Kintalk have been migrated over to Heritage et AL, so you will find them there instead.

Heritage et AL was launched in May 2012 . . .  "Four research centres and the Sir George Grey Special Collections and a whole heap of incredible heritage library collections, arranged around two harbours and many volcanoes! Plus cool links and heritage news stories. Stay tuned .."

Now both blogs will be together on the Heritage et AL blogspot - so don't forget to subscribe to keep up to date!

Happy hunting . . . 


Seonaid

The Chinese have a rich history in New Zealand and are amongst our earliest settlers - with large numbers arriving in the 1850s for the gold rush.

Unfolding history, evolving identity, the Chinese in New Zealand by Manying Ip

There have been some awesome books written about early Chinese. On our Chinese history and family history pages we highlight the famous books Windows on a Chinese Past written by James Ng and Unfolding history, evolving identity, the Chinese in New Zealand by Manying Ip.

However, we also have several books in our collection written by other authors and researchers such as Helen Wong's In the mountain's shadow : a century of Chinese in Taranaki 1870 to 1970 = Zai shan de yin ying : yi ge shi ji han ren Taranaki 1870 dao 1970 and To be Jungseng in New Zealand : descendants of Jungseng villagers who migrated to New Zealand from 1890.

Search in our catalogue using keywords "Chinese" and "New Zealand" for many other titles.

At the Auckland Family History Expo in August, the Chinese community of researchers had their own table, where they displayed many of the books that they had published.


The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust has commissioned a project to research and produce a book about the history of Chinese owned and operated laundries in New Zealand, from the first laundries in the 1890s to the 1960s and 1970s when few remained.

They want to ensure that this significant part of New Zealand's social history is not lost. This project aims to preserve their memories of those times.



Happy hunting

Seonaid

E Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue 2015 
Niue Language Week 2015

This week is Niue language week and Auckland Libraries has a series of events on regionwide.

Showing the King and Queen of Niue with the  New Zealand Premier, Richard Seddon and Mrs Seddon Auckland Weekly News, 5 October 1900 Heritage Images Online, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19001005-3-3

Here at Central Auckland Research Centre we're proud to be the caretakers of the microfilm copies of the Niue High Court Registrar records.

The original manuscripts were very badly damaged during Cyclone Heta in January 2004.

Fortunately, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) had microfilmed the precious records in the 1990s or the majority would have been lost. They were kind enough to gift a set of films to the Niuean government and also to Auckland Library (as Auckland has the largest population of Niueans in the world).

Since then, we've had many Niueans in our Research Centre happily researching their family heritage.

Examples of the major records we hold here are:

Birth registration records for Niue 1900-1997 (3 NIU BDM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Birth records for Niue.

Birth indexes (3 NIU BDM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Includes names, birth dates, and names of parents.  Arranged alphabetically by given name and includes an index number that refers to the appropriate birth record.
• Villages: Alofi, Avatele, Fatiau, Hakupu, Hikutavake, Lakepa, Liku, Makefu, Mutalau, Namukulu, Tamakautonga, Toi, Tuapa, and Vaiea.

Death and still birth registration records 1899-1997 (3 NIU BDM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Death and still birth records for Niue.

Death indexes (3 NIU BDM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Includes names, birth dates, and names of parents of individuals who died or emigrated from Niue.  Arranged alphabetically by surname and includes an index number that refers to the appropriate death record.
• Villages: Alofi, Avatele, Fatiau, Hakupu, Hikutavake, Lakepa, Liku, Makefu, Mutalau, Namukulu, Tamakautonga, Toi, Tuapa, and Vaiea.

Marriage registrations  (3 NIU BDM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Marriage records for Niue.

Various genealogies (3 NIU FAM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Includes genealogies of persons in Niue.  These were created at the request of people interested in tracing their ancestry or by people seeking to establish claims to citizenship or land ownership through inheritance.  Records contain copies of letters of request and conclusions of research in the form of family trees.

Genealogies of Niue women  (3 NIU FAM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Maternal genealogies arranged by village for use in determining property rights some of which inherited through maternal lines of descent.
• Villages: Alofi, Avatele, Fatiau, Hakupu, Hikutavake, Lakepa, Liku, Makefu, Mutalau, Namukulu, Tamakautonga, Toi, Tuapa, and Vaiea.

Emigration from Niue (3 NIU IMM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Index of individuals who emigrated from Niue arranged by village.  Includes date of birth, name of parents, place of birth, date of emigration, place of emigration to, and if appropriate, date of return to Niue.
• Villages: Alofi, Avatele, Fatiau, Hakupu, Hikutavake, Lakepa, Liku, Makefu, Mutalau, Namukulu, Tamakautonga, Toi, Tuapa, and Vaiea.

European immigration to Niue (3 NIU IMM)

• Microfilm of original manuscript in the custody of the Department of Justice, Tufukia Alofi, Niue.
• Index of europeans who immigrated to Niue, or who took up residence there. Includes names of their parents, place and date of birth, date immigrated, and if appropriate, date departed Niue or date of death.

www.nzmusicmonth.co.nz

May is New Zealand Music Month!

This is part one of  a series of blog posts during May to celebrate New Zealand Music Month. Each week it will highlight Auckland Libraries heritage resources relating to New Zealand music, and its talented musicians, across all genres. So, if you have a "muso" in your family's history and are looking for information on them, these resources might just help you with your search.
Gareeb Stephen Shalfoon (1904-1953), "Epi"- a nickname from his family, was a jazzer who initially played piano but he taught himself how to play clarinet and saxophone  because he said at that time it was easier to hire a pianist than horn players. In 1924 he put together a band called the Melody Boys who went on to make New Zealand's first jazz recording. It eventually became a family affair - his daughter Reo, a very talented and popular singer in her own right, frequently performed with the band.

Epi Shalfoon and the Melody Boys, Filmcraft, 1930. Image from the Film Archive.

Sadly, Epi died at the young age of 48. He collapsed while dancing with his daughter at his favourite music venue, the Crystal Palace Ballroom.

Sometimes in family history, you come across a story that sounds more like the plot of a sweeping historical saga than a real life event. Such is the case of the story of the Spaniard, Manuel Jose.

Māori Children on a North Island East Coast Farm, 1937 Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19370630-51-3

The story began in 1840 when Manuel - reportedly tall, red-haired, and green-eyed  – settled on the East Coast of the North Island in the Waiapu Valley north of Gisborne – Ngati Porou land.  His background was cloaked in mystery, and still is. He came to New Zealand as a whaler, set up business as a trader, and subsequently married five times –folklore has him as being an attractive man, and liked by women ( probably not liked quite as much by the men!)  All his wives were Māori, and all the marriages resulted in children. You can imagine the descendants of these Spanish-Māori unions now number in their thousands.


More information is available at www.manueljose.org.nz

Joanne

The UK family history magazine “Your Family History” was rebranded late last year as Discovery Your History and yippee, we have a subscription to it. Whereas “Your Family History” was more dedicated to genealogy, the new publication promotes itself as “Ancestors, Heritage, Memories.” Even just flicking through a couple of issues (namely the late arriving issues of September and October) shows that there is going to be some great browsing material over the coming months.

The issues are packed with treats, such as an article on the New Zealander Archie McIndoe, who pioneered plastic surgery in World war two – the article focuses on the town of East Grimstead, West Sussex, where his patients, the ‘guinea pigs” lived. (He is held in such esteem in the town they are going to unveil a statue of him there this year.)

January 2014 issue

There’s an article on the London Underground – it turned 150 last year – and also on the subject of  travel, a lively piece on The Perils of Travel in Jane Austen’s day and how this most beloved author may have travelled –  she apparently got around England far more than most women did of the time.

Food – oh my gosh, who can possibly go past an article on food – especially an article on biscuits, with an interesting 1854 recipe for a “brown digestive” from the digestion-obsessed Victorian era. Not sure I’m game enough to try that one, even if my British ancestors may have enjoyed them.

But one of the most fascinating articles is on Port Sunlight in Merseyside, North West England  – the “industrial garden village” created by William Lever (the inventor, with his brother Darcy, of Sunlight soap). William wanted to create a beautiful village for his employees to live in, with Arts & Crafts styled houses, welfare provision, and facilities like a training college -and thus he founded the village of Port Sunlight. Last year Port Sunlight celebrated 125 years – ¾ of the properties are now privately owned, although almost all buildings are “listed” and the village is a conservation area managed by a trust set up by Unilever. Fascinating!

If you’re in the research centre, do take a look at publications like “Discover Your History” – some of these magazines are not available as borrowable copies, but they are jam packed with information about things British - and entertaining to boot.

Joanne

Heritage Images database Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-RIC276

Showing the grave and tombstone of Charles Sutton and Ann Jackson in St Mark's Cemetery, Remuera.

The inscription reads:

In loving memory of Charles Sutton died 12th August 1896 aged 66 years.

The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Ann Jackson died 6th June 1877 aged 78. Not thy will, but thine be done

Heritage Images database Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-RIC273

Showing the grave and tombstone of Helena Williams at St Matthias' Church, Panmure.

The inscription reads:

Sacred to the memory of Helena dearly beloved wife of William Perkin Williams and eldest beloved daughter of Alfred and Sarah Pollard died 12th March 1890 aged 21 years.

Not lost but gone before.

Early this year we blogged about how the Old Colonists Association Register images had been digitised and were now available for viewing online by searching our Manuscripts Online database.

We've now made the images even easier to find by adding them to the entries in Index Auckland. So now, if you find mention of someone in Index Auckland, who belonged to the Old Colonists Association, the image will also be attached there as well!

We have other blogs that tell you more about Index Auckland and our related database the New Zealand Card Index.

Happy hunting

Seonaid

Seonaid

Newspapers provide much more than the usual births, deaths and marriage notices, and the occasional obituary. They provide an insight into people's lives. Social history, local, national and political history - all of which add shape to the lives of your ancestors.

National Library is in the process of digitising New Zealand's heritage newspapers and has so far digitised more than two million pages, 70 publications across New Zealand, and covers the years between 1839 and 1945.

These digitised newspapers are being added to PapersPast.

People were pretty quick off the mark to discover in May, that the next batch of Auckland Star pages had been added to PapersPast. From 1870 to 1926 of the Auckland Star is now available online - more than 75 years worth, keyword searchable.

The Auckland Star is a joint project with Auckland Libraries and the National Library.

National Libraries say that PapersPast only covers a very small amount of New Zealand newspapers as yet, and that if you cannot find what you need online, you may find what you need in paper or microfilm formats at your library.

Access to heritage newspapers from round the world can be obtained by our Digital Library:-

• 19th Century US Newspapers;

• British Newspapers 1600-1900;
• Illustrated London News  
• Picture Post Historical Archive  
• The Guardian and The Observer (1791-2003) 
• The Irish Times (1859-2008)  
• The New York Times (1851-2007) 
• The Scotsman (1817-1950)  
• Times Digital Archive

And you can read more about our newspapers, both heritage and more recent.

Happy hunting

Seonaid