This page describes the information resources we have about New Zealand, particularly those held in the New Zealand Room at the Whangarei Central Library.
Updated:
5/03/2012 9:38 a.m.
New Zealand Room
The New Zealand Room on the first floor of the Whangarei Central Library contains a research collection of New Zealand material for present and future generations of Whangarei library users. While few of the items held here are particularly rare, the intention of the collection is to make available a substantial historical collection about the whole of New Zealand from the time of the earliest European explorers and settlers to the present, to complement both the Maori Room and the more intensive collection in the Northland Room.
As well as collecting material on national and regional history, the New Zealand Room collection seeks to reflect the cultural, environmental, political and social heritage of the nation. Material in all formats is included – books, magazines, audio-visual, graphic etc.
The core research collection of books and magazines is not available for loan, but many biographies, some slighter works or duplicate copies are available for loan, as well as all fiction and audio-visual material.
For family history researchers
Regional histories from all over New Zealand, from the Chatham Islands to Martins Bay, from the Catlins to the Bay of Plenty as well as general histories from the early whaling days, the goldfields of both North and South Islands and the railway and maritime heritage of New Zealand.
For social science students
About the changing position of women in society, the history of trade unions, schools and education, crime and policing.
For art students
An almost complete run of Art New Zealand magazine; there are exhibition catalogues and books about all aspects of art in New Zealand and artist interviews on video.
New Zealand Room magazines
Back files of selected New Zealand magazines, especially those where there is some indexing of the magazine available, usually via Index New Zealand - an on-line index to New Zealand periodicals maintained by the National Library of New Zealand.
Map collection
A complete set of New Zealand topographic maps 260 has been recently updated. A selection of New Zealand hydrographic maps is also available.
Historical Government document collection
Almost complete collections of New Zealand Gazette, Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives (AJHR), New Zealand Census and New Zealand official yearbooks from 19th century to present day.