Thanks Mckha for your advice re Archives look-up and also your link to J. Brothers' replacement,
much appreciated.
Have also noted on the NZ BMD website - that Births, Deaths and Marriages were originally part
of the Colonial Secretary's Office. Do you know if any of these records would have survived and if
so where to find them? 
Regards,
Jen.
Hello Jen
For your information. The largest collection of old records is held by our [NZ] national archives, spread over several branches, in our main centers and at Wellington. The catalogue listing for them can be found by using the online ARCHWAY address as exampled above in a couple of links.
If you would like a resident RC member to look them up for you, it is important to know which branch of the archives they are held. So the above request was to see if they were held at either Auckland or Wellington; the most likely ones for historic Bay of Islands records. Of that period others can be found in Australian archives until the hand over.
A separate [new post] WELLINGTON or AUCKLAND Archives LOOK UP request, might get the likes of myself or spades offering to have a look see when next passing the archive.
You also have the possibility of local museums, and churches OR their NZ headquarters and archives holding historic records, not held in the National Archives system.
Regards,
Alan.
