New Zealand Portal

Kia ora! Welcome to the Aotearoa New Zealand Portal.

This is the gateway for New Zealand users for resources and information to aid you in your search for your ancestors, and to promote cooperation in building the New Zealand shared family tree on Geni.

For assistance with building your tree feel free to contact New Zealand Curators: Jason Scott Wills | Private User | Private User | Private User | Charlene Newport | Private User | Private User | Alex Moes

For instructions on how to use Geni, refer to the Geni Help Portal

New Zealand Research Resources

The following links may be useful during your research:

1. Archives New Zealand via Archway
2. Biographies via Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
3. Births, Deaths and Marriages - Historical Records
4. Cemetery Database
5. DigitalNZ - 30 million digital items from more than 200 organisations
6. Early New Zealand Books
7. New Zealand Society of Genealogists
8. NZ On Screen - NZ television, film, music video and web series
9. Papers Past - digitised Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, Letters, Diaries, Parliamentary Papers and Books
10. Shipping records via Yesteryears

New Zealand Projects on Geni

• 1918 lnfluenza Pandemic: New Zealand Fatalities
• Duels in New Zealand
• Former Australian Convicts in New Zealand The Sydney Herald estimated in 1837 that there were between 200 and 300 former convicts in New Zealand.
• He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni | The Declaration of Independence (1835) For those who signed the document on and soon after on 28 October 1835.
• Jews in New Zealand
• Loose Ends Have an ancestor born in New Zealand but dont know their parents? add them to this project for help.
• Mana Wāhine o Aotearoa New Zealand
• New Zealand Cemeteries Index An index to pages on cemeteries in New Zealand.
• New Zealand Centenarians For those who reached the age of 100 years old or older.
• New Zealand Creative Artists Profiles for those involved in the creative arts in New Zealand including drama or theater, music, film, creative writing, graphic design, fashion design, photography and visual arts.
• New Zealand Criminals
• New Zealand Drownings
• New Zealand Fatal Dog Attacks
• New Zealand Fatal Shark Attacks
• New Zealand Governors-General | Kāwana Tianara o Aotearoa
• New Zealand Missing Persons
• New Zealand Missionaries In December 1814 the first missionaries arrived in the Bay of Islands, escorted by the chaplain to the prison colony of New South Wales, Samuel Marsden.
• New Zealand Murder Victims A memorial to the victims of murder in New Zealand. For mass murders (the murder of four or more people at one time) see the project headings below.
• New Zealand Non-Accidental Child Deaths
• New Zealand Pioneer Families 1800-1899 This project is aimed at documenting all of our early settler ancestors. It is also an index page to ships that arrived in New Zealand.
• New Zealand Suffrage Petition Signatories (1891 | 1892 | 1893) For the profiles of people whose signature appears on the suffrage petitions presented to parliament.
• New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal (1993)
• Notable New Zealanders If you are related to a famous New Zealander please add them to this project.
• Order of New Zealand (ONZ) The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's royal honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity". The ordinary membership is limited to 20 living members.
• Parkhurst Boys: Australia and New Zealand (1842-1861) The Parkhurst boys were juvenile offenders from the Isle of Wight's Parkhurst Prison, who were transported to the Australian and New Zealand colonies between 1842 and 1861.
• Tangata Whenua o Aotearoa List of Māori iwi and their ancestors
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi (1840) Profiles of those who signed or those who were associated with the signing of New Zealand's founding document.
• Whaling in early New Zealand

Disasters

• 1855: New Zealand Disasters: Wellington Earthquake 23 Jan 1855
• 1858: New Zealand Disasters: Upper Hutt Valley Flood (18 January 1858)
• 1863: New Zealand Disasters: HMS Orpheus Shipwreck (7 February 1863)
• 1878: New Zealand Disasters: Hydrabad Shipwreck (25 June 1878)
• 1881: New Zealand Disasters: SS Tararua Shipwreck (29 April 1881)
• 1886: New Zealand Disasters: Tarawera Eruption (10 June 1886)
• 1894: New Zealand Disasters: SS Wairarapa Shipwreck (29 October 1894)
• 1896: New Zealand Disasters: Brunner Mine Explosion (26 March 1896)
• 1914: New Zealand Disasters: Te Puia o Whakaari (White Island) Landslide (10 September 1914)
• 1918: New Zealand Disasters: 1918 Influenza Pandemic
• 1931: New Zealand Disasters: Hawke's Bay Earthquake (3 February 1931)
• 1947: New Zealand Disasters: Ballantyne's Fire (18 November 1947)
• 1950: New Zealand Disasters: Ranui Shipwreck (28 December 1950)
• 1953: New Zealand Disasters: Tangiwai Railway Accident (24 December 1953) .
• 1963: New Zealand Disasters: Kaimai Aircraft Crash (3 July 1963)
• 1967: New Zealand Disasters: Strongman Mine Explosion (19 January 1967)
• 1968: New Zealand Disasters: Wahine Shipwreck (10 April 1968)
• 1979: New Zealand Disasters: Mount Erebus Aircraft Crash (28 November 1979)
• 2010: New Zealand Disasters: Pike River Mine Explosion (19 November 2010)
• 2011: New Zealand Disasters: Christchurch Earthquake (22 February 2011)
• 2019: New Zealand Disasters: Te Puia o Whakaari (White Island) Eruption (9 December 2019)
• 2020: New Zealand Disasters: Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
• 2023: New Zealand Disasters: Cyclone Gabrielle (12-16 February 2023)

Firsts

• 1642 December 13: First known European expedition to reach Aotearoa New Zealand Abel Janszoon Tasman
• 1806 April: First Māori to visit England Moehanga of Ngāpuhi
• 1815 February: First pākehā born in Aotearoa New Zealand Thomas Holloway King
• 1815 May: First pākehā woman born in Aotearoa New Zealand Dinah Catherine Hall

Mass Murders

(defined as the murder of four or more people at one time)

• 1772: New Zealand Mass Murders: Death of Marion du Fresne
• 1772: New Zealand Mass Murders: Revenge attacks following death of Marion du Fresne
• 1809: New Zealand Mass Murders: Boyd Massacre
• 1831: New Zealand Mass Murders: Siege of Pukerangiora
• 1835: New Zealand Mass Murders: Invasion of the Chatham Islands
• 1839: New Zealand Mass Murders: Jean Bart Incident
• 1841: New Zealand Mass Murders: Maketū Wharetōtara Murders
• 1843: New Zealand Mass Murders: Wairau Affray
• 1847: New Zealand Mass Murders: Gilfillan Family Killings
• 1864: New Zealand Mass Murders: Rangiaowhia Massacre
• 1865: New Zealand Mass Murders: Finnigan Family Murders
• 1866: New Zealand Mass Murders: Maungatapu Murders
• 1868: New Zealand Mass Murders: Matawhero Massacre (also known as the Poverty Bay Massacre)
• 1869: New Zealand Mass Murders: Mohaka Massacre
• 1869: New Zealand Mass Murders: Ngatapa Massacre
• 1869: New Zealand Mass Murders: Opepe Massacre
• 1869: New Zealand Mass Murders: Pukearuhe Massacre
• 1892: New Zealand Mass Murders: Munro Murders (9 February 1892)
• 1908: New Zealand Mass Murders: Invercargill Axe Murders
• 1929: New Zealand Mass Murders: Hīmatangi Tragedy (6 September 1929)
• 1934: New Zealand Mass Murders: Hēnare Hona Murders
• 1941: New Zealand Mass Murders: Kowhitirangi Shootings
• 1943: New Zealand Mass Murders: Featherston Prisoner of War Camp Riot
• 1951: New Zealand Mass Murders: Noema Rika Murders
• 1990: New Zealand Mass Murders: Aramoana Massacre (13 November 1990)
• 1992: New Zealand Mass Murders: Schlaepfer Farm Murders
• 1992: New Zealand Mass Murders: Masterton Massacre
• 1994: New Zealand Mass Murders: Bain Family Murders
• 1995: New Zealand Mass Murders: New Empire Hotel Arson
• 1997: New Zealand Mass Murders: Raurimu Massacre
• 2019: New Zealand Mass Murders: Christchurch Mosque Shootings (15 March 2019)

Places

• Auckland
• Bay of Islands
  • Russell
• Bay of Plenty
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
• Canterbury
• Coromandel
• Christchurch
  • Christchurch
• Dunedin
  • Dunedin
• Gisborne
• Hauraki
  • Waihi
• Hawke's Bay
• Manawatu
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North
  • Rongotea
• Northland
• Nelson
• Marlborough
• Otago
  • Otago
• Southland
• Taranaki
  • New Plymouth
• Waikato
  • Cambridge
  • Ngāruawāhia
• Wellington
  • Wellington City
• West Coast

Politics

• New Zealand Premiers, Prime Ministers and Politicians

Sports

• 2012 London Olympics Medal Winners
• All Blacks Rugby Team
• All Whites Football Team
• Silver Ferns Netball team

War

• New Zealand Musket Wars (1818-1840)
• The New Zealand Wars (1845-1872)
• Royal New Zealand Fencibles (1847-1852)
• New Zealand Militia, Volunteers and Armed Constabulary Index (1863-1871)
• Waikato Militia (1st Regiment), New Zealand
• Waikato Militia (2nd Regiment), New Zealand
• Battle of Gate Pā | Pukehinahina (29 April 1864)
• Anglo Boer War (1899-1902): New Zealand Armed Forces
• First World War Boy Soldiers: New Zealand
• World War I (1914-1918): Gallipoli Campaign
• World War I (1914-1918): Liberation of Le Quesnoy (4 November 1918)
• World War I (1914-1918): Marquette Sinking (23 October 1915)
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand Armed Forces
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand Nurses
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand Prisoners of War
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand Roll of Honour
• World War I (1914-1918): New Zealand Women
• World War I (1914-1918): Tauranga Roll of Honour (New Zealand)
• World War II (1939-1945): 28th Māori Battalion
• World War II (1939-1945): Chakdina Sinking (5 December 1941)
• World War II (1939-1945): New Zealand Armed Forces
• World War II (1939-1945): New Zealand Prisoners of War
• World War II (1939-1945): New Zealand Roll of Honour
• Malayan Emergency (1948-1960): New Zealand Armed Forces
• Korean War (1950-1957): New Zealand Armed Forces
• Vietnam War (1963-1975): New Zealand Armed Forces
• New Zealand War Memorials Index An index to war memorials within New Zealand to those who died during war.

New Zealand Family Websites

• http://www.goldercottage.co.nz/ Golder Cottage and Genes
• http://www.manueljose.org.nz/ Manuel Jose
• http://www.williams.gen.nz/index.html Williams missionaries
• https://bjbear70.tribalpages.com Harris Families, Broomfield/Chelmsford to New Zealand
• DNA Testing http://www.familytreedna.com

Top New Zealand Users on Geni

1. Sandra Jacalyn Hayes 154,597 Profiles Added
2. Selwyn Pearson Feary 101,796 Profiles Added
3. Susanne Margaret Ferry-Melton 94,815 Profiles Added
4. David Smiler 89,248 Profiles Added
5. Jason Scott Wills 84,528 Profiles Added
6. David Glasson 53,217 Profiles Added
7. Debbie McCauley 39,488 Profiles Added
8. Donna Marie Wilson 37,118 Profiles Added
9. Lynette Matulovich 30,717 Profiles Added
10. Charlene 27,019 Profiles Added
11. Leonard Mark Namana 16,095 Profiles Added
12. Aage Koed 15,560 Profiles Added
13. Kimi Michelle Ennis 12,866 Profiles Added
14. Robin Forlonge Patterson 12,040 Profiles Added
15. Bernard Golder 11,308 Profiles Added
16. Private Suzanne May Barnaby 10,699 Profiles Added
17. Ewan Alexander Caldwell 8,344 Profiles Added
18. Penelope AA Holden 6,970 Profiles Added
19. Christopher Leonard Patterson 6,135 Profiles Added
20. Arthur Ryan 2379 Profiles Added
21. Warren Laurence Barnaby 2165 Profiles Added
22. Deborah Bassett Clarke 1366 Profiles Added