Free Access to More than 35 Million New Zealand Records

Ancestry.Com.Au Gives Free Access to More than 35 Million New Zealand Records

Auckland, New Zealand, 16th May, 2014 – Ancestry.com.au is to make all 35 million Kiwi records free to search for the first time, over a four-day period this week from Friday 16 May to Monday 19 May inclusive.

Ancestry.com.au, the world’s largest online family history resource, provides 37 separate New Zealand family history databases all on one online portal, including:

• New Zealand electoral rolls from 1853 to 1981

• World War One army nominal rolls, casualty, roll of honour, reserve lists

• World War Two army nominal rolls

• City and area directories from 1866 to 1954

• Maori land claims from 1858 to 1980

• Registered ships and owners from 1840 to 1950

• 19th century jury lists

• Deceased estates from 1880-1950

“There has never been a better time for people to start searching into their family history,” says Ben Mercer, Content Director at Ancestry.com.au.

“We are opening up all our New Zealand records for free searching over a four day period starting this Friday 16 May, from anywhere in the world. It will be the first time that so many Kiwi records, 35 million in fact, have been available for free at one online location. It is a significant event for people starting out on their family research journey and also for those further advanced, such as professional family historians.

“This will not only be of great interest to people in New Zealand. We expect the four days of open databases to attract a lot of attention from around the world, as there are approximately one million Kiwis living outside the country, most notably in Australia, the UK and the USA. In addition, New Zealanders have been great travellers dating back to the 19th living elsewhere who have a Kiwi connection in the family tree.

“If you’re curious about wanting to know more about your New Zealand family history connection, then there is no better time to start searching for free on Ancestry.com.au anytime from this Friday 16 May through to Monday 19 May,” says Ben Mercer.

All 35 million New Zealand records on Ancestry.com.au, will be free to search from 12.01AM NZST on Friday 16 May until 11.59PM NZST on Monday 19 May 2014.

Go to www.Ancestry.com.au/NewZealand2014

ENDS

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