My father Ronald Victor Harris, born 13 DEC 1904 in Amberley, Hurunui, Canterbury, New Zealand we think . His father John Harris and mother Francis O'Brien.No info available
We have just found out that he may have been adopted,so his birth name should have been Ronald Victor unless changed. parents unknown.
All help appreciated

Hello Rodney

You could try the government historical birth, death, marriages website https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Home/ If he was adopted his birth with be registered under his adopted surname and first names. If he wasn't adopted he will be registered under his birth surname and first names. You may have to try under various surname spelling ie O'Brian, O'Brien etc.

Good luck

Jenny

Hello Jenny

No luck ,thanks anyway. Have been chasing this info for 8 years.

Keep smilin

Rod

Hello Rodney

A pity that he wasn't on BDM website. Do you know for sure he was born in NZ?, when did he go to Australia? and to what part?

I am living in Christchurch and they have a fantastic card index of marriages, baptism and deaths that took place in and around Christchurch from the 1840's until abt 1920 at the Central Library which has until recently been closed because of the earthquakes. The genealogical information has been relocated and will reopen after the Christmas break tomorrow (Thursday). I am happy to pop in and have a look at the card index for you under Harris and O'Brien.

Do you have any other info - such as parents death certs listing him as a child or even their date of marriage would help because the marriage isn't showing up on BDM online or the Genealogical Societies matching Bride and grooms CD (up to 1956) that I have. No charge for any of this.

Don't give up the info is out there somewhere it just might take alot of jigsaw pieces to put it together. It took a long time for me to find the final resting place of my grandmothers birth mother in Australia. Hope to visit it one day.

Regards
Jenny

Hi Jenny

Your time is really appreciated.

The only paperwork we have is dads marriage certificate & death cert. In both cases they list his birth as 13 Dec 1904 in Amberley, Hurunui, Canterbury, New Zealand. His father as John Edward Harris & mother as Francis O'Brien. Nothing exists in our posession to give any further info. My cousin was talking with my mother just before she died and she told Lindy that dad was in a home and adopted. All was very secretive in those days. We didn't find out that my fathers first wife didn't die as we thought but was in a home. Stories u find out in a tree. Should we go deeper. You bet. It is really fasinating.
Dads son from his first marriage went to NZ a few years ago to try to find out more. But no luck.

I will keep going till we find out something

Thanks &

Keep Smilin

Rod

Hi again
Have spent some time at city library today - looked through card files under O'Brien and Harris but didn't find him or any other children of John and Francis. Also had a look on the BDM Microfiche but didn't find him there under 1904 or 1905.

Have tried to creatively think of other options - you could try electoral rolls for John and Francis (I had a bit of a look, there are some for John Edward but not in the area of Amberley/Hurunui.

Without any other info such as when he went to Australia, parents marriage info, siblings etc it is nigh on impossible. Sorry I can't be of any more assistance at this stage, but do let me know if you come across any other info about his family etc.

Regards
Jenny

Hi Rodney,

You may like to make enquiries at Archives New Zealand (http://www.archives.govt.nz/) about your father. If he was in a "home" for any length of time there may be a Child Welfare file (or similar) on him.

My grandfather was born in 1905 to unmarried parents, who left him in foster care by the time he was five months old. Eventually he was made a ward of the court and placed in an orphanage, until he was old enough to leave and get a job.

His Child Welfare file contained all sorts of information, including the correct names of his parents - his mother told a few fibs when she registered his birth (but just enough of the truth to know we were on the right track when we did find their families) so my grandfather never knew his parents' names.

You're unlikely to find any mention at Archway (http://archway.archives.govt.nz/), the online index for Archives NZ, so write to them and ask for their assistance. Tell them everything you can - you never know what may help them find a file.

Hope this helps. :-)

Kind Regards,
Wendy

Hi Rod

The Australian archives has a military record for him and it is scanned and available online. http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemsLis... I have had a read of the file and there is a letter from his wife (presumably the second one) asking for any information in his military file that could provide info about his birth as the NZ registrar has no record of the birth the letter from E Harris is dated 1969. The army answer states there was nothing in the file.

You may have already had a look at the file.

Regards
Jenny

Hi Wendy

Great info I went to the City Library for Rod today but no luck. I did find a scanned military record for him in Australia with a letter on it (dated 1969) asking the military if they had any info as the birth had not been registered in New Zealand.

Jenny

Hi Jenny

I have a copy on file of the Aust Gov file. I believe this happened just after the war.

Thanks again for all the help.

keep smilin

Rod