 Māori Land Court Minute Books Index (MLCMBI)
The MLCMBI is an index to the volumes of Māori Land Court Minute Books produced by The Māori Land Court - Te Kooti Whenua Māori. This index can be used from computers at any of the libraries in the Christchurch City Libraries network.
The Māori Land Court Minute Books contain judges’ notes on court sittings from 1865 to 1910. These sittings covered court proceedings to do with succession and ownership of land, as well as, in some cases Māori to Māori adoptions. They contain a good deal of whakapapa information and may be useful for whakapapa researchers to consult.
Although this index covers minute books for the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand, Christchurch City Libraries holds copies of only the South Island, Chatham Island, and Titi Islands books. These may be viewed at the Central Library, Ngā Pounamu Māori Centre, 2nd floor.
A full run of published minute books from around the country are held locally by Macmillan Brown Library at the University of Canterbury. Although these are primarily supplied for the use of Canterbury students they are also able to be viewed by the general public. See here for a full list of Macmillan Brown minute book holdings.
Local Māori Land Court offices hold paper copies of minute books relevant to their region. The Māori Land Court office also supplies access to digital images of books for other parts of the country. Those interested in accessing information on more recent cases and decisions should also contact their local office or enquire online. |
