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Ngā pūranga kaunihera

Council archives

What is in our archives?

Auckland Council Archives hold the records of permanent value from all the local authorities which, over the years, have amalgamated to become Auckland Council.

The records represent the corporate memory of the councils and their predecessors, documenting their functions and activities.

They contain a vast amount of historical information about the region, the cities and its people – an invaluable research resource.

The records are available for research by the public.

We are currently adding records to our archival collections from the remaining former authorities and predecessors.

Local councils archives

Auckland Regional Council

Formed in 1989, the Auckland Regional Council took over the functions and responsibilities of the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA), which was established in 1963.

The ARA took over the function of some agencies, such as regional planning and public transport. These agencies transferred their records to the authority.

View the archive records lists for the following agencies:

​Auckland City Council

The Auckland City Council was established in 1871. Since then, the boundaries have expanded, with the most substantial change in 1989 seeing the amalgamation of 11 territorial local authorities to form Auckland city.

Search the archives database for Auckland City Council record collections.

Franklin District Council

Franklin District Council was Formed in 1989 by the amalgamation of Franklin County, Pukekohe Borough, Waiuku Borough and Tuakau Borough, along with the northern portion of the former Raglan County.

Find local body archives from Franklin District Council and its predecessor and associated bodies:

​Manukau City Council

Manukau City Council was formed by the amalgamation of Manukau County and Manurewa Borough in 1965.

Howick Borough and Papatoetoe City were incorporated in the city in 1989.

Find local body archives from Manukau City Council and its predecessor and associated bodies:

​North Shore City Council

North Shore City Council was formed in 1989 when five local authorities - Devonport Borough, Northcote Borough, Takapuna City, East Coast Bays City and Birkenhead City - were amalgamated, together with the North Shore Drainage Board.

Search the archives database for North Shore City Council record collections.

Papakura District Council

Papakura District Council was formed in 1989 from Papakura City, with the addition of Takanini, Alfriston and Ardmore areas from Manukau City and the Drury and Karaka areas from Franklin County.

Find local body archives from Papakura District Council and its predecessor and associated bodies:

Rodney District Council

Rodney District Council was formed in 1989 by the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County Council.

Waitakere City Council

Waitakere City Council was formed in 1989 by the amalgamation of Waitemata City with the boroughs of Henderson, New Lynn and Glen Eden.

Search the archives database for Waitakere City Council record collections.

Overview of previous local government agencies in Auckland

See a timeline of the local government agencies that have existed throughout the Auckland region: