Justice
Court and police records can provide interesting background information on individuals, both police and criminals.
On this page
The courts
Most court material, including civil registers and criminal record books, is available to the public if more than 60 years old. Archives New Zealand, Christchurch holds:
- Supreme/High Court data from Christchurch and Timaru
- Magistrate’s and District Court data from South Canterbury and the West Coast
- Magistrate’s Court records from Akaroa, Arowhenua, Ashburton, Cheviot, Christchurch, Christchurch Children's, Coalgate, Culverden, Darfield, Fairlie, Geraldine, Hampden,Kaiapoi, Kaikoura, Leeston, Little River, Lyttelton, Malvern, Methven, Oxford, Rangiora, Sheffield, Southbridge, Temuka, Timaru, Waiau, Waimate and Waimea
- Greymouth High Court records
- Magistrate’s Court records (including Warden’s court records) for Charleston, Denniston, Granity, Greenstone, Hokitika, Kumara, Lyell, Matainui, Murchison, Okarito, Reefton, Ross, Seddonville, Stafford, Westport, Waimangaroa and Whataroa
- All have information on major and petty criminals
- Fathers of ex-nuptial children are listed
Jury lists
- New Zealand jury lists, 1842-1863
- These microfiche lists are arranged geographically, from north to south. They were originally published in newspapers and gazettes. Jury lists include the names of male property owners and leaseholders and are a useful forerunner to electoral rolls, which were not compiled until representative government was introduced in 1856.
Police
![Superintendent W H Mackinnon makes his last inspection of his men, as the Christchurch police force bid him farewell [1926]](/Heritage/Photos/Disc15/thumbnails/img0060.jpg)
Published sources
A series of books on the history of the police in New Zealand has been published by the Historical Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs. These books contain information about specific individuals.
A large number of regional police histories have also been published.
Check our catalogue under the subject heading: Police - New Zealand - History.
Unpublished sources
Archives New Zealand, Wellington holds information on individual policemen.
These records include a physical description and the person’s place/country of origin, also the year that the officer joined the police force, the years when he worked at particular stations, his marital status and whether he got medals for bravery and/or long service. There are also pension details.
The draft correspondence books of the police include information on policemen. These are held in the various offices of Archives New Zealand.
Criminals
Provincial and national police gazettes
Police gazettes contain a wealth of information on crimes and criminals.
- Christchurch City Libraries holds 1869-1877 volumes of the Canterbury Police Gazette , (a longer run is held at Archives New Zealand, Wellington ), and two issues of the Otago Police Gazette (a complete run is held at the Hocken Library , Dunedin).
- The New Zealand Police Gazette dates from 1877, soon after central government took over policing. It is not held by Christchurch City Libraries but Archives New Zealand, Christchurch has volumes from the 1870s to the 1920s. Access is allowed only to items which are more than 100 years old. Each volume is indexed.
Other sources
- Robinson, J. Of diverse persons: men and women and whores: women and crime in nineteenth century Canterbury. MA thesis, 1983. An excellent guide to the Victorian attitude to women and their offending. Includes examples.
- Archives New Zealand, Christchurch has indexed police records such as charge books and diaries. Access is permitted to records more than 70 years old. Material is held for Akaroa, Amberley, Blackball, Christchurch, Coalgate, Fairlie, Granity, Greymouth, Hokitika, Islington, Kaiapoi, Karamea, Leeston, Lyttelton, Methven, Murchison, Okarito, Otira, Riccarton, Timaru and Whataroa.
- Archives New Zealand, Christchurch holds Christchurch police draft correspondence books, including inward and outward draft letters of the police in Christchurch from the 1870s to the 1940s. The volumes contain frank comment about individuals. If there had been a crime, the police would record who might or might not have done it and why. Also contains information on policemen and their careers.
For further information, you can check the library’s catalogue under the following headings:
