Over the years the society has built up an extensive collection of local history resources. Our West Auckland archives include books, ephemera, newspaper articles, objects, oral histories, photographs and research files. This provides a valuable resource for those wishing to do research or further their knowledge of the area.
Please do contact us if you have a specific research enquiry and benefit from our extensive knowledge base of West Auckland history.
Searchable indexes
Books:
A collection of published material, including many smaller booklets, with a strong focus on West Auckland.
Local history essay competition (2003-2018):
Adult and student entries covering a wide variety of West Auckland material.
West of Eden:
Journal of the West Auckland Historical Society (Issues 1-9): in-depth research articles.
Peter Buffett articles:
Short articles on many aspects of our local history published in the Western Leader suburban newspaper from 1985-1991.
Henderson and suburbs research files:
A collection of local history files about Henderson and its suburbs; Glendene, Henderson Valley, Te Atatu South and Sunnyvale. It combines research undertaken by Vivien Burgess from 2005, prior to the start of the society’s Henderson book project in 2011, with the continued research being part of that project. This material includes a large number of family files and is therefore a good resource for family history researchers as the index is very comprehensive for surnames.
West Auckland Remembers:
A collection of historical essays exploring at some depth a wide variety of topics giving a comprehensive picture of West Auckland history - Māori heritage, exploration, shipping, timber milling, settlement, education, and enterprise.
Photograph Collections:
Since its formation almost 50 years ago, the society has gathered a significant number of photographs. Our collections very much complement those in such institutions as Auckland Libraries and, to a lesser extent, Auckland Museum.
All areas are covered, with Henderson a particular strength. In addition, several photo projects were undertaken in the 1980s to document West Auckland’s built heritage, and a number of family collections of varying sizes have been brought in as a result of research over the years.
An index is currently in process but please send an enquiry to see if there may be an item of interest to you in our photo collections.
Newsletters:
The society’s newsletters are a valuable source of local history information.
Shop:
Visit our Shop for local history publications for purchase.
Tell us more about West Auckland’s history
Your family stories are part of this rich fabric of local history. We would be happy to connect with you and share your memories and photos, which are a valuable resource of the area’s social history.
Please do contact us if you have a specific research enquiry and benefit from our extensive knowledge base of West Auckland history and our West Auckland archives.
Complete the form with as much detail as you are able to. If you need more room, please email us at info@westaucklandhistory.org.nz.
Our researchers will take a look and let you know if we can help.
There is a research fee starting at $20 to cover costs.
Contact us
Email info@westaucklandhistory.org.nz
Visit us
Henderson's Mill Cottage (see open hours below)
17 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson
Auckland, New Zealand
Cottage Open Hours
Saturdays 11am-3pm (mid-Jan - mid-Dec)
Tour & School Groups - hours to suit
Entry by Donation or as arranged
