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The Wilson Collection, a new free New Zealand Index

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Exciting to see this new free index called "The Wilson Collection" launched on 1 March 2021.

Thanks must go to Diane Wilson and her "chocolate fish team" who have gathered information from a range of sources around New Zealand for more than forty years, and have decided to share it freely with us all via this website.

Those of you that have heard my family history lectures over the years you will recognize my tips for the first time you visit any new site:

  • SCROLL DOWN
  • read THE WHOLE SCREEN
  • move your mouse around to see which images are CLICKABLE
  • find the HELP and read it

So bearing in mind that many of you will click straight away on search, here are my three key tips:

Search Tips once you have pressed on the Search Index link at the top of the home page

1. Scroll down and read the site help on searching

Search index page

2. Scroll UP to see the index sources:

How the records were compiled

Clicking on any topic will show the information about the individual indexes within this collection.
For instance the NZ Early Settlers Locator was launched in 2010 on a CD, by Diane and her team, to support New Zealand's Family History Fair.  I had the privilege of working with Diane on the Early Settlers Locator. I send my special thanks to Diane, Murray (may he rest in peace), Mark and all the team past and present for their support of NZ's Family History Fair endeavour which started in 2009 and ended in 2013. It is pleasing to be able to access this information again now so many of us no longer have access to CD drives.

This is what you will see if you click on Early Settlers in the How the records were compiled area on the website.Early Settlers compiled from info

3. In addition to using a year range or a "starts with" or "contains" filter to fine tune your search or reduce the long list of Smith's or Jones'. Do turn on the "Show Data Sources" to filter the search into categories (eg: select all the electoral rolls) or single index.

Search query entry

Reveal the filters

What can you do to thank Diane and her team?
We are all invited to supply New Zealand information to add to this collection, for instance facts such as a location from a certificate you have a copy of could be indexed and added to the collection.
Why not put on it on your "to do list" over Easter or on a wet winter's day to add to this collection. To contact The Wilson Collection team SCROLL DOWN to see how to do this. 

Add to this collection

Have fun everyone finding new information to investigate.


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