New Zealand Parliamentary Library, Wellington

The New Zealand Parliamentary Library, formerly known as the General Assembly Library until 1985, serves as the primary library and information hub for the New Zealand Parliament. Its current premises were completed in 1899.

Initially, the General Assembly Library was housed in a modest room shared with the Auckland Provincial Council, containing a mere 750 volumes in 1860. Subsequently, it relocated to a cottage behind the main Parliament building, where its collection expanded to 4000 books. However, during Parliament's move to Wellington in 1862, a ship carrying some of its books, the White Swan, met with disaster on the Wairarapa coast, resulting in the loss of many valuable documents and reference materials.

The mishap of the White Swan was often cited as the reason for the failure to produce certain documents deemed sensitive. Despite setbacks, the library continued to grow, eventually occupying six spacious rooms behind Parliament in Wellington. Cataloguing efforts began with an author catalogue in 1867, followed by a classified catalogue in 1872. By 1897, the library boasted nearly 40,000 volumes, making it a vital repository of knowledge and a source of international ideas, philosophy, and literature for parliamentarians and staff alike.

Alfred Domett, New Zealand's Premier and a poet, advocated for limited access to non-parliamentarians, a privilege that faced opposition at times. Notably, writer Katherine Mansfield enjoyed borrowing privileges during parliamentary recesses, accessing works by various authors including Heinrich Heine, Nietzsche, and translations of Bushido by Dr. Inazo Nitobe.

The current library building in Wellington, now occupied by the Parliamentary Library, was originally constructed for the General Assembly Library in 1899. Designed by Thomas Turnbull in the Gothic Revival style, it was built to withstand fire, utilizing brick made at Mount Cook gaol and featuring an iron firedoor that protected the library during the 1907 fire which ravaged the wooden parliament buildings.

Recognized as a Category I heritage structure by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, it stands as the oldest surviving building within the Parliament complex.