Local History
Explore local history - the people and places of Ōtautahi.
Featured
Ancestry Library Edition
Trace your family history. Includes records from U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Only available in libraries.
Tī Kōuka Whenua
Explore the vibrant past of Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region that extends back many hundreds of years before 1850.
Canterbury Stories
Online collections from our digitised archives, publications, & photographs. Includes Photo Hunt images, exhibitions, image sets, & more.
Discovery Wall
Tūranga is the home of NZ’s largest digital touchwall. Find out more, and how you can contribute to this unique heritage resource.
Popular resources
Popular resources
Xth British Commonwealth Games 1974
The 1974 Commonwealth Games were known as the Friendly Games. They took place in Christchurch from 24 January to 2 February 1974.
Poster collection: Rock music
Local band posters digitised from the libraries' ephemera collection.
Digital maps
This is a collection of digital images of historical maps. The maps focus mostly on Christchurch and Canterbury.
Shades Arcade and EB Games: Picturing Canterbury
The Cashel Street entrance to Shades Arcade and EB Games, 2007. An image from Canterbury Stories.
High Street buildings: Picturing Canterbury
Echo Records buildings on High Street with cars parked outside, 1993. An image from Canterbury Stories.
Womens' Royal Army Corp Parade: Picturing Canterbury
Parade of the Women's Royal Army Corps at Burnham Camp, 1940s. An image from Canterbury Stories,
Bible Lady: Picturing Canterbury
Taken in the Square in Easter 1971 of local character, the "Bible Lady". An image from Canterbury Stories.
Discover Canterbury: Can you help us identify this beach?
Can you please help us identify the location of this photograph? It is a beach that we think is located in Banks Peninsula.
Discover Canterbury: The Groynes
While the decline in water quality prevents swimming at The Groynes today, back in the 1990s it was an extremely popular swimming hole.
Discover Canterbury: Do you know?
Do you know where in Christchurch this MED substation was located? Please let us know if you do.
QUIZ: Women's suffrage
Aotearoa gave women the right to vote in 1893. To commemorate this historic event, test your knowledge with our voting rights quiz!
QUIZ: Canterbury's 19th century settlers
Fun facts and frivolities of the forgotten forty-niners (plus a 50 or two) from books and newspapers in the Library collection.
QUIZ: Water
Celebrate ‘Te Kātao a Matariki – the water stars of Matariki’, with our local history quiz based around all things watery!
QUIZ: Winter sports and snowy expeditions
Try your luck with our questions that dig into wintry activities and exploration in snowy conditions.
Just added
The Henderson Sisters: suffragists and missionaries
The story of the Henderson sisters shows how the women’s suffrage movement was associated with the temperance movement, and religion.
Discover Canterbury: Can you help us identify this beach?
Can you please help us identify the location of this photograph? It is a beach that we think is located in Banks Peninsula.
Wilhelmina Sheriff Bain: suffragist librarian
We celebrate the 130th year of women's suffrage in New Zealand with a series of posts about local suffrage campaigners.
Shades Arcade and EB Games: Picturing Canterbury
The Cashel Street entrance to Shades Arcade and EB Games, 2007. An image from Canterbury Stories.
