Nelson Provincial Museum Library

A black and white image of a town street.
Tasman Bays Heritage Trust / Nelson Provincial Museum, Tyree Studio Collection 267405/3

Isel Park (off Hilliard Street )
Stoke, Nelson
PO Box 853, Nelson
Ph +643 547 9740
Fax 03 547 8549
Email contact

Access

  • Saturday 10.00am - 2.00pm
  • Tuesday through Friday by arrangement

Services

Staff to assist

Photocopying

Most items including strip copying from newspapers

Charges

Research fees and admission charges apply. $2.00 entrance fee for the Research Library

Resources

  • A Biography index under surname giving brief information from various sources
  • A large collection of manuscripts and archives generated by individuals and organisations from the Nelson region
  • A photographic collection of over 1.2 million negatives complements the archives collection

Births, Deaths and Marriages

  • Birth, death and marriage notices from local newspapers indexed alphabetically 1842-1920, 1978-2003 (ongoing).
  • Index to Nelson Photo News marriages 1961-1974.
  • Roman Catholic local marriages and baptisms indexed from 1844-1913.
  • Presbyterian archives for the Nelson Marlborough Presbytery include marriage and baptism records from a number of parishes from 1853.
  • Lutheran baptisms 1846-1906, marriages 1849-1920, deaths 1848-1909.
  • Church of Christ Spring Grove marriages 1891-1950.
  • Church of Christ, Nelson marriages, 1898 - 1918.
  • Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast region cemetery burial records and headstone transcriptions.

Education

  • Admission registers and school committee records from the former Nelson Education Board area including Buller. The earliest date from 1873.
  • Nelson College archives 1853-1959,.Class rolls Boys 1881-1931, Girls 1896-1933.
  • Bishop's School rolls 1860-1895.
  • Electoral Rolls, Census, Directories:
  • Electoral rolls for Nelson region 1854-1896. Electoral rolls for New Zealand 1865 - 1896 (microfilm).
  • Telephone directories for Nelson 1938 to present; Postal directories. Some prior to 1900 and an incomplete set until 1947.
  • Census for Nelson District 1845 and 1849.
  • Nelson Jury lists 1843-1861.
  • Nelson & district telephone exchange subscribers 1902, c.1919, c.1922.

Land

  • Rate books and valuation assessments of Nelson City 1857-1878, 1910-1949 and Tahunanui, 1933-1950.
  • Maps showing numbered sections throughout the Nelson Land District.
  • Appointments preferred for access to the map collection.
  • A selection of cancelled deeds and land transfer documents relating to properties in the Nelson Land District and name index currently being compiled.

Māori

  • Historical information on Māori in the Nelson region.
  • H.J Fletcher's "Index of Māori names" (microfilm edition).
  • Alexander Mackay's "A compendium of official documents relative to native affairs in the South Island"

Newspapers

  • Nelson Examiner 1842-1861
  • Colonist 1857-1920
  • Nelson Evening Mail 1866-1996, 1999-2001
    In 1995, The Nelson Evening Mail was renamed The Nelson Mail
  • Golden Bay Argus 1883-1911

West Coast papers oddments only:

  • The Greymouth Evening Star: Otira Tunnel supplement 4.8.1923
  • The Buller Post 30.12.1897
  • The Murchison Standard 16.7.1920, 9.2.1925; 31.12.1925; 31.12.1937
  • Inangahua Murchison Times 22.2.1956,
  • Lyell Times and Central Gazette - 1888, 1892. And reprints of 3.10.1885, 13.3.1886 and original for the 22.10.1887 newspaper
  • The Reefton Guardian 6.5.1889
  • The Westport Times and Evening Star 16.4.1895
  • The Buller Miner 24.9.1915, 11.2.1916; 25.2.1916; 10.3.1916; 7.4.1916; 1.9.1916
  • The Murchison Star 30.6.1937
  • The Charleston Herald and Brighton Times 92 May 1869 no 248 (misprint on the date must be 12 or 22nd)
  • The West Coast Times 30.1.1867
  • The Inangahua Herald 1872
  • The Inangahua Herald and Nelson South West Goldfields Advertiser 30.8.1873; 20.8.1873, 19.2.1878, 31.1.1882;24.2.1882; 4, 6, 8, 11, June 1882; 9.5.1882; 28.6.1882; 20.11.1882
  • The Grey River Argus 18.8.1867

Passenger Lists

  • Detailed records are available for assisted immigrants sponsored by: New Zealand Company 1840-1850, Nelson Provincial Government 1853-1867: New Zealand Government 1874 - 1879.
  • Brief passenger listings from local newspapers, including trans-Tasman and coastal shipping, 1842-1870.