The material in our music heritage collections is of historic interest, and relates to the development of New Zealand music.
Sheet music collection
We have a comprehensive collection of New Zealand sheet music. From the original manuscript of God defend New Zealand to contemporary classics.
This collection can be found at our Heritage Collections Reading Room. Get details from our Locations page.
New Zealand sound recordings collection
You’ll find a diverse collection of recordings by New Zealand artists in a variety of formats (vinyl, cassettes, CDs) in the Heritage Collections at the Central City Library. There are duplicate copies of most reference materials in the lending collection.
This collection can be found at our Heritage Collections Reading Room. Get details from our Locations page.
Made in Auckland collection
The Made in Auckland collection features unsigned artists across multiple genres, reflecting the creative output of local musicians from 2005 – 2012.
You can’t borrow the CDs but can listen to them in the library on request.
This collection can be found at our Heritage Collections Reading Room. Get details from our Locations page.
Māori music
Material for researching Māori music is available in Te Kohinga Matua collection at Research Central. Get details from our Locations page.
Heritage Concerts
We collaborate with talented musicians to reflect the heritage nature of our collections. They perform classical pieces in this series of concerts at Level 2, Central City Library.
You can listen to past Heritage Concerts on YouTube or on Auckland Libraries' podcasts .
God Defend NZ original score and lyrics
As New Zealand’s national anthem, ‘God Defend New Zealand’ is one of our most powerful symbols of national identity. This collection was inscribed on the New Zealand register of the UNESCO Memory of the World in 2013. See all Auckland Libraries inscriptions.
