Feilding - Archives and Genealogy

08/03/2026

We have just 41 days to go until the 1926 census for the Irish Free State (now Republic of Ireland) is released. If you're wondering how to prepare, I've got you covered. Here's an article I wrote last year (yes, I've been planning a long time for this) on what you might like to do in advance of 18th April. I've updated it with additional detail.

https://cbgenealogy.ie/preparing-for-the-1926-census-release/

06/03/2026

The text in this newspaper article from Feilding First newspaper on the 40th birthday of the Feilding Branch NZSG may not be big enough to read here but worth a try

23/02/2026

How to preserve a husband
Be careful in your selection; do not choose too young. When one is selected, give your entire thought to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them into hot water. This may make them sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with love, and seasoned with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity, keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared, they will keep for years.
[New Plymouth Genealogy newsletter of the 1990s]
Image below sourced from https://diaryofatomato.com/2013/04/03/how-to-preserve-a-husband-5-links/

19/02/2026

The next meeting of the Manawatū Legacy Users Group is at 7pm on 24 February in the Pātiki Onepū room, Manawatū Community Hub Libraries, Stafford Street, Feilding. John Carter is going to talk about using Sources in Legacy. To find out more about the Legacy software, look at some webinars.

16/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/17wCdJjixG/

The Collaborative Newspaper Digitisation Programme adds more newspapers to Papers Past, using the combined resources of community groups around New Zealand. Every year, we invite applications for new additions. Find out how it works and how to apply.

15/02/2026

NZSG are excited to announce the dates for the 2026 Auckland Family History Expo. This will be held 9-11 October 2026 - mark your diaries now! We have changed the dates to coincide with the Auckland Heritage Festival and to take advantage of the school holidays.

We are upgrading the venue to the historic King's College, which offers superior facilities, more on-site parking and is just a 400-metre walk from the Middlemore train station.

We look forward to seeing you there. This event is open to everyone.

06/02/2026

"The Grange". In 1874 when first surveyed, the section it sat on was 15 acres in size and bordered both West and North streets. The first owner was the surveyor, Fred Gillett. He had been employed on the team engaged to survey Manchester Block. He sold the property to Douglas and Mary Macarthur in 1879. Article by Marilyn Wightman published in the Back Issues section of the Manawatu Standard on 10 January 2026.

There has always been a fascination with old houses and discovering the stories of the people who owned them.

30/01/2026

Maria (nee Moore) and Frederick Towler arrived in New Zealand on the ship "Salisbury" on 19 January 1874 as settlers selected by the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation for settlement on the Manchester Block. According to Fred's obituary in the Manawatu Standard of 11 April 1916, they reached Feilding on 13 April 1874. This colourised photograph shared to Ancestry.com.au by
Brian Sowman was taken at the time of their golden wedding anniversary (50 years). A notice of the anniversary was published in the Feilding Star on 12 November 1914.

29/01/2026

27/01/2026

The latest Family History Federation Really Useful Bulletin is now online for members to read. The lead article is Writing Women Back In—the work of A Few Forgotten Women.
https://genealogy.org.nz/Family-History-Federation/10934/

27/01/2026

The Feilding Branch NZSG will be 40 years old this year and are celebrating with a dinner at the Coach House Museum on 17 February. Cost $38.00. Please notify any past members who might like to attend. If you have photographs to share please let us know.

27/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bu89wj7qc/

📣 Calling all family history groups!

Across Australia, there are thousands of local newspapers holding invaluable family notices — births, deaths, marriages, funerals, inquests, and community milestones — many stretching back into the 1800s and early 1900s. These records are irreplaceable pieces of our shared history.

At Ryerson Index, we focus on the death, funeral, memorial service and similar, but we simply do not have enough individual indexers to tackle the sheer volume of material that still remains unindexed. Nor do we have the ability to physically reach every library, archive, or historical collection across the country.

This is where family history groups can make an extraordinary difference.
Groups with a local presence and library access are uniquely placed to help:

Accessing newspapers on microfilm or hard copy
Back-indexing older editions, particularly early regional papers
Gathering notices for others to index
Or running a full working bee model — gatherers extracting notices, indexers entering them into the Ryerson system, and images forwarded to us for safe digital preservation

Every contribution matters. Whether your group gathers the data, indexes it, or works as a team doing both — you are helping ensure these records are not lost to time.

If your group would like a Zoom presentation, we are more than happy to talk you through the process, options, and how we can support you every step of the way.

🙏 Please, please, PLEASE consider taking on this challenge.
You may truly be the missing piece in someone’s family history puzzle — helping future generations discover where they came from, and who they belong to.

If your group would like to start a conversation, please get in touch with us here or email secretary@ryersonindex.org