Canterbury Resources – Canterbury Genealogy

Here are some of the museums, archives, libraries, historical societies and other places of research available in the Canterbury region.

LDS Family History Centre

Address: 17 Fendalton Road, Fendalton, Christchurch
Phone: 03 355 6874 (only during opening hours)
Email: nz_christchurch@ldsmail.net
Website: www.familysearch.org
Hours: Tuesday 10 am- 2 pm and 7 pm- 9 pm

Museums and Historical Societies

Akaroa Museum

Address: 71 Rue Lavaud, Akaroa
Phone: 03 304 1013
Email: akaroa.museum@ccc.govt.nz
Website: www.akaroamuseum.org.nz/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Akaroa-Museum-154992607898288/
Hours: Open 10.30 am – 4.30 pm daily

Amuri Historical Society

Address: Cob Cottage Museum, 6 Cheviot Street, Waiau
Phone: 03 315 6599
Email: amurihistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amurihistoricalsociety
Hours: Summer: Sunday, 2 pm – 4 pm; winter: closed from 30 May to 1 September.
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/5459

Ashburton Museum/Ashburton Historical Society

Address: 327 West Street (SH 1), Ashburton
Phone: 03 307 7890
Website: www.ashburtonmuseum.co.nz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ashburton-Museum-236491660047564/
Hours: Open 10 am – 4 pm daily

Canterbury Museum

Address: 26 Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch Central, Christchurch
Phone: 03 366 5000
Email: info@canterburymuseum.com
Website: www.canterburymuseum.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/canterburymuseum/
Hours: Temporarily closed

Cheviot Historical Records Society

Email: cheviotmuseum@amuri.net

Cust Museum/Cust and Districts Historical Records Society

Address: Main Road, Cust
Phone: 03 312 5839
Email: ingleside.cust@gmail.com
Hours: Sunday 2 pm – 4 pm, or by arrangement
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3123

Ellesmere Historical Society

Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/3319. Has facilities for research – access by appointment.

Ferrymead Heritage Park

Address: 50 Ferrymead Park Drive, Heathcote, Christchurch
Phone: 03 384 1970
Email: info@ferrymead.org.nz
Hours: 10 am – 4.30 pm every day
Website: www.ferrymead.org.nz/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ferrymeadpark

Glentunnel Museum/Glentunnel Historical Society

Address: 5 Phillip Street, Glentunnel
Phone: 03 318 2423
Email: glentunnelmuseum@gmail.com
Hours: Sunday 1 pm – 4 pm during Daylight Saving Time, or by appointment
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/7855

Hanmer Springs Records

Contact: Rosemary Ensor at rosemaryensor@outlook.com

Hurunui District Records

Website: www.hurunui.govt.nz/community/library/heritage
Records: Records can be found at the Hurunui District Library in Amberley, phone 03 314 8980, and at the Hanmer Springs Library

Kaiapoi Museum/Kaiapoi District Historical Society

Address: Ruataniwha Kaiapoi Civic Centre, 176 Williams Street, Kaiapoi
Phone: 03 311 8919
Email: kaiapoimuseum@gmail.com
Website: kaiapoimuseum.co.nz/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kaiapoimuseum/
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – 9 am to 5 pm, Thursday – 9 am to 7 pm, Saturday – 10 am to 2 pm, Sunday – 1 pm to 4 pm

Kaikoura Museum

Address: 96 West End, Kaikoura
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kaikouramuseum
Phone: 03 319 7440

Kowai Archives Society

Address: 1091 Upper Sefton Road, Balcairn
Postal Address: The Secretary, Kowai Archives Society Inc., 12 Springside Place, Christchurch 8051
Phone: C/- Mrs R J Hayes, 03 354 1312
Email: kowai.archives@gmail.com
Hours: Open to visitors and researchers every Wednesday from 1.30 pm to 4 pm or by appointment
Collection Details: The Archive collection includes: school rolls and class photographs; photographs of people, places and events; baptisms, marriages and cemetery records; clubs, associations and business minute and record books; newspaper clippings from the 1870s to the present day; scrapbooks and family trees; old maps, indexes for land titles and Horrell Files.
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3133

Lincoln and Districts Historical Society

Address: Liffey Cottage, 20 James Street, Lincoln
Phone: 03 325 3320
Email: sec.ldhs@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LincolnandDistrictsHistoricalSociety/
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/3209

Lyttelton Museum

Address: Building demolished in 2011 after Canterbury earthquakes. A new museum will be built at 33/35 London Street.
Phone: 03 328 8972
Email: info@lytteltonmuseum.co.nz
Website: www.lytteltonmuseum.co.nz/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lytteltonmuseum

Lyttelton Museum’s collection is gradually being catalogued. See the work so far on eHive here.

National Scout Museum

Address: 12 Williams Street, Kaiapoi
Email: nationalscoutmuseum@scouts.nz
Hours: Tuesdays 10am-4pm, Sundays 1pm-4pm, or by prior arrangement
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/collections/3087/national-scout-museum

New Brighton and Districts Historical Society and Museum

Address: 8 Hardy Street, New Brighton, Christchurch
Phone: 03 382 5742
Email: nbmuseum@outlook.co.nz
Hours: 1 pm to 3 pm daily
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3374

Okains Bay Maori and Colonial Museum

Address: 1146 Main Road, Okains Bay, Banks Peninsula
Phone: 03 304 8611
Email: info@okainsbaymuseum.co.nz
Website: www.okainsbaymuseum.co.nz/
Hours: 10 am -5 pm daily, except Christmas Day and Good Friday

Oxford Museum

Address: 75 Main Street Oxford
Contact Address: Oxford Historical Records Society, 56 Main Street, Oxford 7430
Email: oxmuseumdata@gmail.com
Website: oxfordmuseum.nz
Hours: See their website for opening hours
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3246

Rangiora Museum/Rangiora and Districts Early Records Society

Address: 29 Good Street, Rangiora
Phone: 03 310 7356
Email: rangioramuseum@xtra.co.nz
Website: rangioramuseum.wordpress.com
Hours: Sunday and Wednesday, 1.30 pm – 4 pm
Further Information: www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3061

St Andrews College Museum

Address: Strowan House, 347 Papanui Road, Christchurch
Phone: 03 940 20000
Email: stac@stac.school.nz
Hours: Guided tours are available by special arrangement. Research material is also available by appointment.
Further Information: www.stac.school.nz/alumni-and-our-community/museum/

Sumner Museum/Sumner-Redcliffs Historical Society

Address: Matuku Takotako: Sumner Centre, cnr Wakefield Avenue and Nayland Street, Sumner
Email: sumner.museum@xtra.co.nz
Main Genealogical Holdings: 5000 family history cards taken from Sumner Borough Council District Electoral Rolls, archives from 1883, land titles 1851-1910, Sumner School rolls 1876-1949
Hours: Saturdays 1pm-4pm or by appointment
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/3414

Waipara County Historical Society Museum

Address: 34 High Street, Hawarden
Email: harbridge@xtra.co.nz
Hours: Museum opens on request. Read instructions on door for key and phone 03 314 4160 to have it opened.
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/418

Wigram Air Force Museum

Address: 45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram, Christchurch
Email: research@airforcemuseum.co.nz
Defence Department records: personnel.archives@nzdf.mil.nz

Libraries

Ashburton Public Library

Address: Cnr Havelock and West Streets, Ashburton
Phone: 03 308 7192
Email: library@adc.govt.nz
Website: www.ashburtondc.govt.nz/services/library/
Hours: Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm, Saturday 10 am to 1 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 4 pm

Christchurch City Libraries

Locations: christchurch.bibliocommons.com/locations/list/
Phone: 03 941 7923
Email: library@ccc.govt.nz
Website: my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/

The Family History Centre at Turanga houses family history resources, microfilm newspapers and Ngā Pounamu Māori and the Ngāi Tahu collections. The collection’s unique resource is the Church Register Transcripts. The guides to Births, Marriages and Deaths give further details of what the registers can provide.

Macmillan Brown Library

Location: University of Canterbury, Ilam Road, Christchurch
Phone: 03 369 4499 (extn 94499)
Email: macbrown@libr.canterbury.ac.nz
Website: www.canterbury.ac.nz/library/libraries/macmillan-brown-library/

Selwyn District Libraries

Locations: www.selwynlibraries.co.nz/your-libraries/contact-us
Email: selwyn.library@selwyn.govt.nz
Website: www.selwynlibrary.co.nz

Waimakariri District Libraries

Locations: libraries.waimakariri.govt.nz/about/locations-and-hours
Phone: 03 311 8901
Email: library@wmk.govt.nz
Website: libraries.waimakariri.govt.nz/

Cemeteries/Burial Records

Cremation Records

Cremation Society of Canterbury

The Cremation Society of Canterbury holds records for the Canterbury Crematorium & Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Linwood and the Harewood Crematorium & Memorial Gardens in Harewood.

Address: 455 Linwood Avenue, Linwood, Christchurch
Phone: 03 389 6282
Email: admin@cremsoc.co.nz
Website: www.cremsoc.co.nz
Hours: Administration office hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5 pm

Family History and Genealogy Groups

Darfield Genealogy and Local History Group

Address: 1 South Terrace, Darfield
Phone: 03 318 7424
Email: darfieldgenealogylhg@gmail.com
Website: darfieldgenealogy.org.nz/
Hours: Resource room: Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am – 12 noon

Family History Society of New Zealand

Address: 401A Papanui Road, Christchurch
Phone: 03 355 2109
Email: familyhistory.nz@hotmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Family-History-Society-of-NZ-388990381709890
Hours: Monday 10 am – 12 noon and Saturday 10 am – 12 noon

NZSG Bishopdale Branch

Address: 92 Farrington Avenue, Bishopdale, Christchurch
Email: Bishopdale@genealogy.org.nz
Contact Phone: Frances Cadman, 03 352 5605
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/1756

NZSG Riccarton Branch

Address: Upper Riccarton Library, 71 Main South Road, Riccarton, Christchurch
Email: riccartongenealogy@hotmail.com
Contact Phone: Kate Trotter, 03 343 4501
Further Information: www.cinch.org.nz/entries/3233

NZSG Waimakariri Branch

Address: Rangiora Brass Band Rooms, Northbrook Studios, Northbrook Road, Rangiora
Email: Waimakariri@genealogy.org.nz
Contact Phone: Gordon McIvor, 03 327 3331
Website: sites.google.com/site/waimakaririgenealogy/