Symonds St Cemetery to get a clean-up!

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August is Family History Month, as those of you who follow this Blog will know.

It is very fitting therefore that Symonds St Cemetery has been getting quite a bit of press lately! We have a database of known names of people in our Digital Library that are buried there, and its one of our most popular databases for those people researching their early Auckland ancestors.

This article in The Aucklander spoke of Symonds St Cemetery's disrepair and plans for restoration. This is extremely good news for this important part of Auckland (and New Zealand's) early history.
David Verran, local historian and team leader of the Central Auckland Research Centre, was interviewed on August 15 by Lisa Thompson for Radio New Zealand. David took Lisa on a tour of the cemetery, and spoke about the history and also about his enthusiasm for the restoration work.
David Verran frequently takes public groups on tours of the Symond St Cemetery, sometimes by request, but also always during the Auckland Heritage Festival, which is being held in the first two weeks of October this year.

However, if you want to take a tour of the cemetery by yourself, there is a handy sound file that you can download on our website so you can do your own guided self-tour!

Photographer James D Richardson. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-RIC277

Showing the grave and tombstone of Johanna Stone, John Thomas Stone, Philip Henry Hackett, and Henry John Hackett in Symonds Street Cemetery. The inscriptions read: In affectionate remembrance of our loving mother Johanna Stone who died August 25th 1889 aged 60 years. Also in the glory of our beloved father John Thomas Stone who died March 12th 187? aged 43 years. (The rest of this inscription is obscured.)
Sacred to the memory of Philip Henry Hackett native County Tipperary Ireland who departed this life 24th February 1877 aged 34 years. Erected by his beloved wife. also of Henry John Hackett infant son of the above who departed this life 13th March 1873 aged 1 year and 6 months.
May their souls rest in peace.

 Happy hunting

Seonaid

Central Auckland Research Centre's family histories database

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We have over a thousand family histories in our collection donated to the library’s research centre over the years.

The family histories are housed in their own bay of shelves in Central Auckland Research Centre's family history collection under the call number 2 NZL FAM. 

Each book can be searched for, and found in our normal library catalogue. However, these books contain many more surnames than is able to be included in a catalogue entry.

With the help of our volunteers and casual staff we have been able to make this collection more accessible to our customers by creating a name searchable database. Because of the number of names involved within a family, we have limited the inputted names to five generations only.

At this stage you will need to ask staff at the desk to search the database for you, but it is well worthwhile. A single name search can show the interconnections of New Zealand families with one family name sometimes appearing in half a dozen other families’ histories.

The example below shows some of the results from a search on the family name Williams. It can be found in more than 45 other named family history books, all of them on our shelves.



Eventually, we hope to be able to make the database available in our eResources, so that everyone can search for themselves.

The Central Auckland Research Centre in Auckland’s Central Library is open until 8pm on weekdays and until 4pm on the weekends. Access is free and membership is not required to browse our collections.

Bridget

Launching Family History Month @ Auckland Libraries

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On Wednesday, August 1, Family History Month begins here in New Zealand.

Auckland Libraries has a series of fabulous events across the region on a wide variety of topics nearly 50 events across 25 libraries - from Mahurangi in the North to Massey in the West and Pukekohe and Waiuku in the South! There is even an "overseas" visit to Waiheke Island.
Full details of the month can be reviewed here, and include links to the different events happening at the different libraries, speakers' profiles, and abstracts of the talks! These talks can be booked through the host library.


Launching Family History Month - 3 events on one day 

To kick off this exciting month, Auckland Libraries has THREE events in one day at Central City Library in Lorne Street.

Brad Argent is going to be very busy in New Zealand - as he will be doing a few different events for both Auckland Libraries and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists in celebration of Family History Month.


As well as speaking on "Getting More from Ancestry " for us on Sunday, Aug 5, Brad will also be with us on Wednesday morning, along with other special guests


Brad Argent, Ancestry.com.au


Wednesday, August 1 - 11am

Challenging our national identity
What does it mean to be a Kiwi today?

August is Family History Month at Auckland Libraries. To kick off the month there will be a healthy discussion with a panel of experts on Identity and what it means to be a Kiwi in today’s society.

Join a free event featuring leading family history experts.
  • Genealogist: Sandra Metcalfe, New Zealand Society of Genealogists
  • Pacific Perspective: Fasitua Amosa
  • Tangata Whenua Perspective: Margaret Ngaropo
  • Chinese Perspective: Roseanne Liang
  • International Family History Expert: Brad Argent, Ancestry.com.au
Facilitated by Family History Librarian: Seonaid Lewis, Auckland Libraries


11am, Wednesday 1 August
Whare Wānanga, opposite the Central Auckland Research Centre
L2, Central City Library, 44-46 Lorne Street, Auckland

To book your place, phone (09) 307 7771.

FOLLOWED BY:
Genealogy in the Pacific Islands with Christine Liava’a
Wednesday 1 August, noon

Do you have ancestors, of any ethnicity, who lived or worked in the Pacific Islands? Polynesians, Melanesians, Europeans, Chinese, Indians, or other? Traders, Government officials, whalers, seamen, planters, soldiers, labourers?

Christine Liava’a, of the Pacific Islands Interests group, will speak on what sources for Pacific Island Genealogy are available and where to find them, particularly in Auckland.
To book your place, phone (09) 307 7771 or book online


FOLLOWED BY:
WORKSHOP: Auckland Libraries’ Family History eResources with Seonaid Lewis
Wednesday 1 August, 2pm - 3pm

‘Akozone’ computer suite, Level 1
Central City Library, Lorne St


To book your place, phone (09) 307 7771 or book online

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