Manuscripts are the unpublished records of individuals and organisations, preserved for their historical and research value. Sometimes they are also called archives. Manuscripts include things like letters, emails, journals, diaries, notebooks, reminiscences, speeches, scrapbooks, minute books, and drafts of literary and other works.
Search for manuscripts
Start your search for manuscripts using TAPUHI.
Manuscripts Collection
Manuscripts are held in the Turnbull Library Manuscripts Collection. The collection includes the papers of Māori, Pākehā and Pacific Island people active in all areas of New Zealand and Pacific life.
More about the Manuscripts Collection
Archive of New Zealand Music
The Archive of New Zealand Music is a special collection within the Manuscripts Collection. It contains manuscript material relating to New Zealand music, musicians, composers and organisations.
More about the Archive of New Zealand Music
Timeframes
Digitised images of manuscripts from the collection can be found on the Library’s online database of heritage images, Timeframes.
Ranfurly Collection
The Ranfurly Collection contains digital copies of papers relating to Lord Ranfurly, Governor of New Zealand from 1897 to 1904. Images of items like letters, journals, reminiscences, and scrapbooks reflect Lord Ranfurly’s activities throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Items relating to manuscripts in other collections
Published, pictorial, and sound items relating to particular groups of manuscripts are held in other Turnbull Library collections.
More about the Alexander Turnbull Library collections
Manuscript collections in other institutions
Libraries, archives, and museums throughout New Zealand contain other important manuscript collections. Most government archives are held at Archives New Zealand.
New Zealand Libraries, Museums, and Archives – Te Puna Web Directory website
You can find information about many New Zealand institutions and the manuscript collections they hold by searching the National Register of Archives and Manuscripts and the Directory of Archives in New Zealand.
National Register of Archives and Manuscripts website
Directory of Archives in New Zealand / Ngā Pae Mahara - Archives New Zealand website
