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Library Subject Guides

New Zealand History: Biographical Information

Subject Guide

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Damian Cairns
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Finding Biographical information

Dictionary of New Zealand Biography - 3000 biographies of significant New Zealanders. It does not include people who are alive.

Index of Maori Names - Provides access to the Index of Maori Names compiled by Henry James Fletcher and digitised by the University of Waikato Library.

Cyclopedia of New Zealand - published in six volumes between 1897 and 1908. Each volume covers a particular region, and features biographical entries, and information on busineses, clubs, societies and other organisations. Members of the public paid to be included in the Cyclopedia, so the entries are somewhat biased. Also those who could not, or would not, pay to be included are absent. There is very little information on Maori, women, or non-European settlers.

Honoured by the Queen: New Zealand Recipients of Honours, 1953–1993 - biographical dictionary of people who have been honoured in some way by Queen Elizabeth II.

Southern People - A Dictionary of Otago-Southland Biography - over 3000 interesting people who have lived in Otago and Southland.

G R Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biographies  - Biographical dictionary of around 12,000 entries on 19th century Cantabrians from Canterbury Museum