The following notes were compiled by Colin Adams as part of the research for his upcoming book NZ Heritage Survey Maps and Plans. We are grateful to Colin for sharing this useful and hard-won resource.

Covering Note:
Digitised Field Books at LINZ-Recollect are in numerical order. ArchivesNZ are in Surveyor order.
If LINZ-Recollect number search results point to ArchivesNZ, then surveyor name and issue date are needed.

Three book types are listed here:
Field Book Registers listing field books numerically against surveyor names.
Field Book Registers listing surveyors A to Z against field book numbers.
Field Book collections that are stored numerically if numbered in descriptions.

The following is a snapshot in time with more field books expected to be digitised over time.

North Auckland (NAK/NA)
  • Numerical Register V1 for old AK books 1 to 3648, 1875 to 1923. ArchivesNZ R21369123, digitised.
    Volume also has AK< >GS, NA< >GS, GS< >Wairoa – book transfer listings. Geodetic: GS & bit of Rotorua.
  • Numerical Register V2 for old AK books 1 to 5271, 1869 to 1966. ArchivesNZ R22845556. Digitised.
    Booklet, typed version of Volume 1 above with issues up to 1966 – Note: It lists early books for SA and GS.
  • NA Numerical Register for books 4743 to 8932, 1948 to 2008. ArchivesNZ R22845557. Digitised
    Includes traverse books 627 to 2020, 1973 to 2003.
  • Auckland surveyors, ArchivesNZ R23818645 & R23818647 below may be useful – not digitised.
    Survey Instruction registers by surveyor, Volume 1 & 2. ArchivesNZ R23818645 & R23818647.
  • Book Collection, LINZ-Recollect website. prescribed work, No.4 to 6250, 1871 to 1972.
  • Book Collection, LINZ-Recollect website AK prescribed work for East Cape, possibly fragments
    for the AK area, 118 books numbered 271 to 6250, 1880 to 1904.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ Series 24484, lots of books without book number references, 1859 to 1996.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ Series 24485, lots of books without book number references, 1859 to 1996.
    “Green Series” – Crown and Maori lands, Field Book Register Volume 1. See Series 24804 roll plans.
  • North Auckland’s other field book types:
    “F Field Books” are loose pages with no register book, 1923-71. Filed as support notes to SO plans.
    “FB Field Books” are bound loose pages with no register, 1924-72. Filed as support notes to DP plans.
    “SS Field Books” are ‘Standard Marks’ in a register named “Street Index to Standard Plans …”.
    The field book registers show which books were sent to HB, GS, and SA Land District offices.
  • Numerical Register Book for old AK field books 1 to 3638, 1875 to 1923. ArchivesNZ R21369123, digitised.
    Also has AK< >GS, NA< >GS, GS< >Wairoa – book transfers listings.
  • Numerical Register Book for field books 1 to 5726. ArchivesNZ R22856956, digitised.
    Booklet version of the above – i.e contains books for SA and GS
  • Numerical Register Book for field books 5728 to 8000. ArchivesNZ R22856957, digitised.
    Includes traverse books 627 to 2020, 1973 to 2003.
  • SA Numerical Register Book for field books 1 to 4912. ArchivesNZ R23818641, R23818642.
  • SA Numerical Register Book for field books 1 to 5905. ArchivesNZ R23818643, R23818644.
  • Murray North Partners, indexes, Murray North folders 7575 to 7630, approx 1910 to 2010. ArchivesNZ R22856958, digitised.
  • Auckland surveyors, ArchivesNZ R23818646 & R23818648 below may be useful – not digitised.
  • Survey Instruction registers by surveyor, Volume 1&2, ArchivesNZ R23818646 & R2381648.
  • Book Collection, LINZ-Recollect standard issue for South Auckland, books No.22 to 6231, 1876 to 1972.
  • SA Book Collection, ArchivesNZ, Series 1180, books ‘unknown’ to 5380, 1859 to 1983.
    Listed by Surveyor name, not the book number.

    • AK District Book Collection ArchivesNZ, Series 24485, old field books for years 1843 to 1933.

      “Green Series” – described by LINZ as ‘miscellaneous’, Field Book Register Volume 1. See Series 24804 roll plans.
      There are eight field book categories, six of which may be of interest to researchers.
      They are the regular type for 1869 to 2001, DP books, DPS books, Green series,misc. books that are numbered with Roman numerals mainly mining (listed in Register Vol 1), and further misc. ones numbered 2 to 183 – many dealing with Waikato power development 1930’s. See PWD field books too.
  • Numerical Register Book Vol.1, field books 1 to 1363, 1841 to 1983. ArchivesNZ R22856954, digitised.
    Also lists all the minor rural series books prefixed H&W, I, M, N,O, T, TK, U and W. See Taranaki table below.
  • Numerical Register Book Vol.2, field books 1364 to 3200, 1882 to 2001. ArchivesNZ R22856955, digitised.
    A list of Head Office Wellington field books issued for triangulation and benchmark surveys is included.
  • Taranaki surveyors alpha 1842 to 1983 in numerical register book above: ArchivesNZ R22856954, digitised.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ Series 24473, 193 books, 1842 to 1901, New Plymouth area, digitised.
    The field books during the period from 1841 to 1876 were allocated a rural prefix letter and number. Refer to Taranaki Field Book prefix schedule below.
  • Book Collection, LINZ Recollect, books P1 to 1351, 1884 to 1972. Digitised, letter P is disregarded.
    The prefix P shown above for P1 was discontinued in 1930.
    Three Taranaki surveyor firms lodged all their old field books with LINZ -NP in 1969. These now have LINZ numbers and are in the LINZ collection above.
  • Book Collection, LINZ, Miscellaneous books for topo, scenic reserves
    L&S farm blocks, police surveys, Standards and trigs – held by LINZ.

    • TARANAKI Field Book prefix identification system 1841 – 1876

    Reference item: ArchivesNZ resource R22856954 register book
    Schedule of rural & suburban-districts, and survey-district field book I.D. prefixes

      B: An old I.D. used on SO66 & SO67 series drawings and some roll-plan drawings.*
      H&W: Hua and Waiwakaiho district – Books 1 to 28
      I: Fitzroy, Grey, Huirangi, Mangorei, Waitara, Oakura, Omata, Tataraimaka and Tikorangi districts – Books 1 to 18
      M: Huirangi, Moa, Tarurutangi, Waitara West, Waitara South, Eltham, Egmont, Huiroa, Kaupokonui, Ngaire districts – Books 1 to 34
      N: Native blocks and river traverses – Books 1 to 26
      O: Oakura, Okato, Tataraimaka districts – Books 1 to 16
      P: Survey Districts – Single ID system introduced 1876, ceased 1930
      Series I: Patea Military Settlements 1867 – Books 1 to 11 +1A
      Series II: Patea Military Settlements Ototuku district prior to 1868 – Books 1 to 8
      Series III: Patea, Okahutiria, Ototuku, Opaku, Otoia, Pukekino Whenuakura, Kakaramea, Patea suburban 1871 to 1876 – Books 4~42
      T: Tarurutangi district – Books 1 to 5 + 22
      TK: Tikorangi district: Books 1 to 8
      U: Pukearuhe and Urenui districts – Books 1 to 10
      W: Huirangi and Waitara districts – Books 1 to 8 + 12
      * Some early cadastrals and roll-plans had field book references entered as “B” (book) with “P” (page). e.g. “B7 P.21” = Book 7, page 21. “B” can be substituted by selecting a local district prefix above.

  • Numerical Register Book, ArchivesNZ item R21369123, digitised, downloadable by page.
      Part 1: Field books No.1 to 1586, 1875 to 1981.
      Part 2: Field books No.121 various to 3648, 1883 to 1923, ex AK, page 65 to 68
      Part 3: Misc books cross refrerence list, 30 books “Napier<>Gisborne” 1876-1921 and 14 books “Hawkes Bay<>Wairoa” 1874-1880, page 69.
      Part 4: Geodetic issued – No.1147 various to 1198, 30 books, page 75.
  • Numerical Register Book, a re-write. ArchivesNZ item R22856967, digitised, downloadable by page.
    Includes former Auckland and Napier (Hawkes Bay) books.
  • Gisborne surveyors – Alphabetical list of names against their Field Book numbers. ArchivesNZ R22856968.
    Compiled by RN Hermon, LINZ-HN, 1999. Excel spreadsheet with dates and notes.
    Bound book, digitised, downloadable by page.
  • Book Collection, LINZ-Recollect “GS-AK”, AK prescribed work for East Cape, possibly fragments for parts of AK area, books numbered AK270 to AK3648, 1880 to 1923.
  • Book Collection, LINZ-Recollect “GS plus GS-AK” i.e. the set above is copied into this GS series.
    Books numbered 1 to 1206/AK3648, 1880 to 1972
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ, Series 24487, early books not on Recollect, Digitised.
    Books listed by surveyor name, not by number. Refer to field book register to match number to surveyor.
    Field books for the Gisborne Land District were consecutively numbered irrespective of whether they were issued to commercial surveyors or by L&S for Surveys of Crown or private land.
    Field Notes lodged in loose leaf form for Land Transfer Surveys were bound and numbered with the next consecutive number from the Field Book Register. These field books contain the work of many different surveyors.

    • Native Lands

  • Register of native land plans including a field book list &etc AK to GS 1923. ArchivesNZ R21369128.
    Gisborne field books are just one series, with books issued irrespective of use.
    A spreadsheet by RM Hermon exists that incorporates abberations such as disturbances caused by district boundary changes into one searchable document with surveyor names. (see above) R22856968.
  • Register of Native Land Plans, descriptions and field book numbers received in 1923 from Auckland,including SO and ML plan numbers AK>GS. ArchivesNZ Series 23129.
  • AK Index Register of Native Land Plans, co-ordinates etc sent to Gisborne Office. ArchivesNZ R22917116.

  • Inter-district register for Field Books, in numeric order, No.1 to 1940. Includes cross-reference tables for Auckland<>Gisborne, Hawkes Bay (Napier)<>Gisborne, and Hawkes Bay<>Wairoa area.
    11 books yet to be described from the 1880s. ArchivesNZ R22856967, digitised.
  • Numerical Register – New series field books 1 to 1866, 1931 to 2001. ArchivesNZ R22856962, digitised.
  • Miscellaneous books cross-refrerence list, 30 books “Napier<>Gisborne” 1876-1921 and 14 books “Hawkes Bay<>Wairoa” 1874-1880 at ArchivesNZ R21369123.
  • Hawkes Bay Surveyors – no index book is known. LINZ may have this information in a spreadsheet.
    If the suveyors name is known, books issued can usually be called up on the ArchivesNZ website.
  • Book Collection, LINZ Recollect, ”HB and NAP” books 1 to 1081, 1931 to 1957, HB and Napier city.
    Note: Napier books from Saxby and Rochfort Surveyors. The 1931 earthquake & fire destroyed office records & drawings.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ, some Gisborne Land District books have Hawkes Bay info, for example Series 24487.
  • Numerical Register, field books 1 to 3697, 1842 to 1962. ArchivesNZ R22856965, digitised.
    N.B. The 5th digitised page has a list of sketches and watercolours to be found in books 3 to 1389.
  • Numerical Register, field books 3698 to 6528, 1931 to 1999. ArchivesNZ R22856966, digitised.
  • Wellington surveyors – 1842 to 1962. Alpha names against Field Book. ArchivesNZ R22856963, digitised.
  • Wellington surveyors – 1962 to 2009. Alpha names against Field Book. ArchivesNZ R22856964, digitised.
    A list of surveyors up to year 1900 was composed via reference to plan and field book registers in Oct 1974. Refer to LINZ File 11/23.
  • Book Collection, LINZ Recollect, books 0030 to 4548, c.1857 to 1972. All Wellington Land District.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ, Series 24474, 104 field books circa1840/1900 Wellington Province, digitised.
    This series does not identify books by number yet. Wellington Head Office issued numbered “Geodetic” and “Leveling” field books to districts, and once not needed back in Wellington the books were returned to districts for renumbering into the district collection, yet some offices simply stored them as Wellington books. Topographic books sent to H.O. were also returned.
  • Numerical Register, “Old Series” No.1 to 404, c.1840 to 1865. ArchivesNZ R26142890. Book No.9(Chch)
    Old Provincial Council era books that contain journals, letters, reports – field work based upon the magnetic meridian.
  • Numerical Register, field books 1 to 2993, 1878 to 2001. ArchivesNZ R23188968, digitised.
  • Numerical Register, field books c.1840. ArchivesNZ Series 26021 – To be digitised.
  • Numerical Register, field books “Amuri new series” 1877-97. ArchivesNZ Series 26029. To be digitised.
  • Nelson surveyors It is assumed that an alphabetical list of Nelson surveyors against field-books-issued exists.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ Series 26020, “Old Series”, 51 books No.1 to 131, digitised.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ Series 26028, “Amuri old series” dated 1850 to 1876.
  • Book Collection, LINZ – Books waiting to be digitised.
    “ New Series” No.1 to 2993, 1879 to 2001. General, geodetic, aneroid, coal. SO & LT.
    There are also recent topo and levels field books.
    Thirty five random unlabelled items: Kawatiri, orphan trig field books, and some field books for Whakamarama SD Taitapu estate 1879-1894.
  • Numerical Register for field books. Book 12, 1879 to 1949. ArchivesNZ Series 26025. To be digitised.
    The first section of the register is for Field Books issued to the “ New Zealand Company surveys”.
    Following on sections may be by Survey Districts. Books appear to be sequentially numbered, possibly stored in survey district groups.
  • Numerical Register, Book 10, is a copy of Record 12, but continuing to 2001. Books 556 to 1591.
    Four books, numbers 1592-5 are not in this register as it was out being bound – may now be annotated.
    Books 912, 1033, 1037, 1196, 1200, 1215, 1259, and 1260 were issued to NZ Forest Service.
    Page 5 reserved for Level books and miscellaneous.
    Page 72 lists many books not returned, assumed lost.
  • Marlborough surveyors It is assumed that an alphabetical list of Nelson surveyors issued with Field Books is within the Numerical Field Book Register.
  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ Series 26024 17 old books, No.19 to 54, identified by surveyor, digitised.
  • Book Collection, LINZ – Books waiting to be digitised.
  • Numerical Register for field books 1 to 377 in Old Series Book 9 1847 to 1883. ArchivesNZ R2085663.
    These are from the era of the old provincial council.
  • Numerical Register for field books Book 7, 1877 to 1964. ArchivesNZ R2085661.
    SO survey books, also contributed to by contracted private surveyors. Includes topo, geodetic & vertical surveys.
  • Numerical Register for field books Book 8, 1964 to 2000. ArchivesNZ, R2085662.
  • Timaru Numerical Registers for field books. ArchivesNZ, R2085663. To be digitised.
  • Nelson Numerical Register Amuri, showing books passed to CB. ArchivesNZ, R23188968, digitised.
  • Books and diaries W Kitson, Series 12591, Book pt1 R21008814, pt2 R21008815, 1877 to 1891.
    Field books have litho maps, book pt 2 is for Hamner Bath House.
  • Canterbury surveyors alpha index is possibly in registers “Books 7, 8, & 9” above.
  • Book Collection “Old Series”, 91 books, 1 to 377, 1849-76, ArchivesNZ Series 26023.
    Identified by book number and then surveyor name. Most digitised. Includes topo survey book.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ, “Old Series” numbered 1 to 377, 1849 to 1876, digitised.
  • Book Collection, LINZ Recollect, “New Series” numbered 1 to 2495, 1876 to 2000, digitised.
    Contracted private enterprise field books are in this collection, and identified by numbers issued
    from the book register. Books for topo, geodetic & vertical surveys are also within this collection.
  • Book Collection “Amuri Old Series”, formerly Nelson Land District, numbered 1 to 212, 1850 to 1876.
  • Book Collection “Amuri New Series”, formerly Nelson Land District, numbered 213 to xxx, 1877 to 1897.
  • Book Collection “Land Transfer”, for LT/DP drawings, numbered 1 to 774, 1877 to 2000.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ Series 26030, “Timaru Old Series”, numbered 1 to 212, 1855 to 83, digitised.
    There is an Canterbury Field Book spreadsheet listing all field books, including the Amuri field books. Land Transfer not included.
  • Numerical Register, Greymouth Office, No.1 to 37, 1865 to 1876. ArchivesNZ R23188962, digitised.
    Christchurch Book 30. Numbers in this register are Greymouth Office ones.

  • Numerical Register, 4 Volumes, books No.1 to 1592, 1865 to 1989. ArchivesNZ R23188963 to 66, digitised.
    These volumes are also known as Christchurch Books 31 to 34.
  • Nelson Numerical Register, showing books passed to Westland. ArchivesNZ R23188968, digitised.
  • Westland surveyors – Alpha list of names against their book numbers. ArchivesNZ R23188961,digitised.
    Referred to as “A – Field Book Register”, 1865 to 1905, subsequently Christchurch Book 29.

  • Book Collection, ArchivesNZ Series 26026, 31 Field Books No.2 to 288, 1861 to 1880, digitised.
  • Book Collection, LINZ – Books waiting to be digitised.
    Nelson field books transferred to Westland-Hokitika are now prefixed “N”. Greymouth office independantly numbered and issued their field books from their register. All Hokitika Office field books are within the same numbering series, i.e. Crown, mining, control,etc. LINZ-Chch have field book spreadsheet.
  • Numerical Register, field books 1 to 2147, 1844 to 1981. ArchivesNZ R22758685, (Series 24968).
  • Otago surveyors – It is assumed that the alphabetical list of Otago-surveyors issued with Field Books
    is in the Numerical Field Book Register.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ Series 24967, 1844 to 1871. Some are digitised, downloadable.
    Identified by surveyor name, book numbers not referenced – use surveyor alpha list below to navigate.
  • Book Collection, LINZ – Books waiting to be digitised.
  • Misc Field books, ArchivesNZ Series 9420, Otago and Southland 1861 to 1944.
    Identified by surveyor name, book numbers not referenced. There are two Numerical Field Book Registers, one hand written, one typewritten. Otago regional office field books are now renumbered and are in the district Field Book Register (Queenstown 927 to 969, Lawrence 970 to 1063 and Naseby 1064 to 1159).
    Southland area books are with Southland. There is an Otago Field Book spreadsheet listing books 1 to 2667 dated 2008.
  • Numerical Register, six register volumes, books 1 to 1088, 1863 to 1914. ArchivesNZ R22758687, digitised.
  • Numerical Register, seventh volume for 1089 to 2184 is reported as missing.
  • Numerical Register by SO plan numbers with field and traverse book numbers, and surveyor names.
  • Numerical List of missing field books – 19 Dec 2000. 48 listed, including No.281 – not issued.
  • Southland surveyors – alpha lists of surveyor names in two volumes: A to L, and M to Z.
  • Southland surveyors – an Eastlite ringbinder with typewritten pages A to Z with extra data.
    List of surveyor names with references to book numbers and the work carried out. An expansion of the volumes above.
  • Book Collection ArchivesNZ Series 24970, 1855 to 1888. 79 books. Digitised, downloadable by page or PDF.
    Most are digitised. Identified by surveyor name, books don’t appear to be numbered.
  • Book Collection, LINZ – Books waiting to be digitised.
  • Misc Field books, ArchivesNZ Series 9420, Otago and Southland 1861 to 1944.
    Identified by surveyor name, book numbers not referenced. This district issued numbered field books to private surveyors for Land Transfer Surveys. 48 Southland field books have been listed by LINZ as missing.(see above)