Some common misconceptions about Auckland Research Centre.
(help us break them down)

…but I don’t have any Auckland research

The Auckland Research Centre is much more than Auckland. 
• Yes, we do have a fantastic Auckland local history collection, but we have very good collections of local and family history for the whole of New Zealand – see the entries for us in the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Regional Repository guides.
• Our family history collections include material covering New Zealand; Australia; England; Ireland, Scotland; Wales; and increasingly countries like South Africa and some of the Islands in the Pacific.
• New Zealand Gazette (both print copy and electronic); Appendices to the House of Representatives; New Zealand legislation.

….but you have to be a member to use the Auckland Research CentreYou do not need to be a member of Auckland City Libraries• The Auckland Research Centre no longer has a gate. There is free access to anyone from anywhere
• All material in the Auckland Research Centre – with the exception of a small collection of subscription databases- is available to everyone.

…but its so expensive to park in the City• Use the library in the evening or Saturday or Sunday.
• Park in the Victoria Street car park
• Ask us for a parking voucher on your way out.
• Parking will cost you    $4.00

….but the staff are always so busy, I don’t want to disturb them
• Yes, sometimes you will have to wait while we help someone else
• If we look busy at the desk, it is only because we need something to do until you ask us a question
• The staff are on duty to help you!!!

Ancestry.com has been releasing some very useful databases for Australian research.

Two that I would like to bring to your attention are –

New South Wales assisted immigrant passenger lists, 1828-1896. 

This database contains a collection of assisted immigrant passenger lists to New South Wales, Australia, for various years between 1828 and 1896. “Assisted immigrants” are individuals whose passages were either subsidised or paid for by another person or through another agency. This collection is comprised of four different series of records which are part of the NSW Archival kit.

Auckland City libraries has this index and the passenger lists on microfilm
New South Wales unassisted immigrant passenger lists, 1826-1922.

“Unassisted immigrants” are individuals whose passages were NOT subsidised or paid for by another person or through another agency. This collection is comprised of two different series of records. They are:-

Auckland City Libraries has had the passenger lists from1826-1900 on microfilm for many years. They have not been  used as much as they could because there has  been no easy way to search.

The new online index also shows that the records do not just include people from Great Britain.
During the time period 1826-1922, there are :-

So, if you have ‘lost’ someone, give it ago. You never know!

 - Seonaid