THE TREASURY is to be a heritage centre, with a purpose-built archive room, in Thames, New Zealand. The Treasury will preserve and promote the history and the interesting stories of this region - a region which played such a big part in the early development of New Zealand.



The search for early family members, where they lived, why they lived there, what their lives were like - their genealogy, their whakapapa - has become increasingly important to people all over the world. Many people are seeking an understanding of their heritage, and the events that moulded it.



The Coromandel Ohinemuri area of New Zealand has many tales to tell. The coming of the Maori people, the disappearance of the moa, the visit by Captain Cook, the felling of the tall kauri and kaihikitea trees, the lure of gold, all have left their mark on the history of the region - tales of settlement, of greed, of danger, and of the hardships and the pleasures of everyday life.


These stories are the foundation of what formed us as a people, as a community, as a nation.


The Treasury is well-named. It will provide safe storage for the records and stories of the people of the old goldfields region - Thames, Coromandel, Tokatea, Kuaotunu, Whitianga, Tairua, Whangamata, Waihi, Waikino, Karangahake, Paeroa, Te Aroha, and the Hauraki Plains.


Finding the stories about your early family is very rewarding. We will make this as interesting and as easy as we can for you. Our collection includes books, photos, maps, plans, letters, certificates, genealogies, oral histories, Commemoration Pages, the Pioneer Family Register. We will provide indexes to help make your research quicker. A research officer will answer enquiries for you if you are unable to visit us.