Local History
If you're interested in local history, the Library holds a large range of information as part of our Heritage Hawke's Bay Collection. Items in the collection are available at both our Napier and Taradale library.
- Heritage Hawke's Bay Collection - an in depth collection covering family histories, local histories, the Oral History Archive, historical deposit plans, and more. This includes newspaper clippings of articles relating to Hawke's Bay, and Hawke's Bay buildings.
- Maps - includes a wide variety of New Zealand maps, street maps, topographical maps, National Parks, local soil maps, and some historical maps.
- Newspaper holdings - The Daily Telegraph since 1881, The Hawke's Bay Herald 1877-1904, and an index of birth, death, and marriage notices from The Daily Telegraph and Hawke's Bay Today.
- The Irene Lister Archive - located at Taradale this is a small collection of photographs, indexed records of Taradale people with births, marriages, and deaths, articles about Taradale people, events buildings, index cards refer to information found in books, cemetery records and private collections.
Databases:
We have a wide range of useful databases, which can be accessed on our Digital Content page. Key resources for local history are:
Archives New Zealand
Archives New Zealand preserves and protects more than seven million official records, from 19th century treaties to 21st century documents and data. Their goal is for all New Zealanders to easily access and use this taonga, connecting you to your rights and entitlements and stories - now and for the future.
Hawke's Bay Earthquake
Shortly after 10.45am on Tuesday 3rd February 1931, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale struck the Hawke's Bay area. This site is dedicated to all those who lost their lives, and includes lists of casualties and injured.
Index New Zealand
Index New Zealand is a searchable database that contains abstracts and descriptions of articles from more than 1,000 New Zealand periodicals and newspapers published from the 1950s to the present day. Around 3,000 new records are added monthly from 460 titles.
Māori Maps
Find your way to the tribal marae of Aotearoa New Zealand - through maps, information and photographs - through the digital gateway of Māori Maps. Te Potiki National Trust gathers the information for Māori Maps from public sources, and holds it in trust for our beneficiaries, the marae of Aotearoa New Zealand.
MTG Hawke's Bay Tai Ahuriri
Hawke's Bay's award-winning musem, home of the region's taonga and other treasures.
Napier City Community Profile
The Napier City Community Profile includes demographic analysis for the city and its suburbs based on the results from the 2013, 2006, and 2001 Censuses of Population and Dwellings. The profile is updated with population estimates when Statistics New Zealand releases new figures.
National Library of New Zealand
The National Library of New Zealand collects, connects, and co-creates knowledge to power New Zealand. The National Library has a wide range of collections including books, magazines, audio, websites, Turnbull archival collections, and more.
New Zealand Heritage List Rārangi Kōrero
Search the New Zealand Heritage List Rārangi Kōrero for information about New Zealand's significant heritage places, including Ngā Manawhenua o Aotearoa me ōna Kōrero Tūturu/National Historic Landmarks.
New Zealand History Nga korero a ipurangi o Aotearoa
The New Zealand History website covers a wide range of topics including culture and society, politics and government, New Zealand at war, hands-on history, and resources for the classroom. You can search by topics, events, people, and places, for everything you need to know about New Zealand history.
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated is a mandated iwi organisation with the authority to represent the people of Ngāti Kahungunu, and is the Governing body for all aspects of Iwi development. This site includes information on governance, operations, our people, and events.
Retrolens Historical Image Resource
Retrolens is made up of a treasure trove of aerial photographs that have been taken since 1936 through to 2005. It is a Crown archive and contains 500,000 images. The photos were taken for a range of reasons such as land management and mapping. The value of these images is in showing change across New Zealand.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
We offer an all purpose built venue that uniquely combines spectacular outlooks with functional layout.
For Napier City residents and citizens to have easy access to see what council are currently working on, completed, what they do, facilities, and council information.
Unique Art Deco heritage has been preserved with the skilful addition of modern theatre facilities making it the best provincial performing arts centre in the nation.
The Faraday Centre in Napier, is Hawke's Bay's Museum of Technology. It's a place of discovery where history comes alive through hands on experience.
Visit the Napier i-SITE to find out more about what is happening in Hawkes Bay, from events, activities and accommodation.
Situated in the centre of Napier, in the middle of Onekawa Park, the Napier Aquatic Centre is a safe and affordable aquatic facility for everyone.
We are Hawkes Bay's premier holiday accommodation park providing an array of facilities to keep the entire family entertained.
Comprising a Museum, Theatre and Gallery - MTG is home to a significant collection of objects that form the foundation of distinctive exhibitions, a world-class research facility and the MTG Theatre.
Nowhere else in New Zealand will you discover a wider range of marine animals and native species in a single facility than at the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
Located on Marine Parade, Napier, is the Bay Skate Park - home to skateboarding, BMX, roller derby, inline hockey and scootering.
Located in the Art Deco city of Napier. We have worked closely with our builders to promote and develop high quality housing within an open-aspect environment.
Come to Par2 MiniGolf and meet Seamore the Seagull at our sea-side minigolf courses. Challenge your friends and family for a round.