Wānaka Genealogical Group

27/05/2026

Have you used trade directories in your family history? These free online records are a great way to locate ancestors in years when no census records are available:

12/05/2026

Pembroke (now Wānaka) c.1940

Looking down from above Pembroke town to the intersection of Ardmore St and Brownston St (see the Willow tree) before the latter was extended past Russell St.

To learn more about local history, have a look through the Timeline on our website that details important events for the region: www.wanakahistory.org/timeline

05/05/2026

Luggate Punt, c.1900

In this image, James Smith is shown going through the landing procedure at the Luggate Punt. You can see travellers waiting patiently behind him. The punt closed when the Red Bridge was opened on 28 Oct 1915.

To learn more about this region’s history, click here: www.wanakahistory.org

Edit: Originally this post stated that there was a 'horse and cart' waiting patiently, but it very well could be a coach or otherwise used carriage.

27/04/2026

25/04/2026

Why are there so few Welsh surnames, what do they mean and what are the most common? We look at the unique naming traditions of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

25/04/2026

We had a lovely visit today from members of the Canterbury Pilgrims and Early Settlers Association.

With our shared interest in the early families and history of Canterbury, it was a pleasure to show them around our facility and the resources we offer.

A relaxed afternoon of chatting, exchanging knowledge, and a little side‑of‑research made for a really enjoyable visit.

Always great to connect with others who care about preserving our region’s stories.

Linda McFarlane and Fiona Lees

17/04/2026

Missing Lancashire ancestors? Volunteer transcribers added 57k new baptism, burial and marriage records to the FreeREG database recently. Is your ancestor among them? Search now: www.freereg.org.uk

13/01/2026