I have recently been revising my talk on how to locate passenger lists for those of our ancestors who have just appeared in records here in New Zealand.
During the course of this preparation I have been using a variety of material available here in the library (Auckland Central) and one in particular I feel is worth mentioning as for a small work it is so full of useful information.
The booklet covers the period 1840-1970 and covers a lot of ground in its 64 pages.
On the back of the booklet Christine explains its purpose:
I am often asked how to find when an ancestor came to New Zealand. This set me off on an exploratory path a number of years ago putting together the different schemes, periods and times to find out just who the people were coming at the different time periods and why.So, what sort of things are included? The usual suspects of NZ Company, gold rushes, Waikato and Taranaki military settlers (Land Wars), assisted immigrants etc. However, it is the sections on the settlement of particular places in New Zealand and schemes that brought immigrants to this country that are invaluable. For instance, those who arrived due to the cotton famine in the UK, Small Farmers with Capital, Brogden’s Navvies, Moravian Settlement, Sedgwick Boys just to name a few.
This booklet is designed to make readers think beyond the square to see what else was happening in the world that may have led people to New Zealand.
I was particularly interested to read about Brogden’s Navvies. I now think this may be how relatives of my 2x Great Grandfather arrived and this has given me food for thought about further possible records to explore.
The booklet is indexed with a bibliography of material additional to those mentioned in the text.
Anybody who is interested in immigration records into New Zealand should find something of interest in this short work. Perhaps worth considering as a Christmas present for the family historian in your family?
Migration to New Zealand: a guide for family history researchers by Christine Clement (published by Unlock the past, 2014, Australia)