Death Notices Dominion Post: How to Search, Read & Publish

Losing someone is never easy, and often the first thing you want to do is find out if the news has been made public. For anyone searching for a death notice in Wellington, The Dominion Post (now The Post) is the local paper of record. This guide shows you where to look online and off, using official archives, free indexes, and careful searches — without intruding on grieving families.

Daily death notices published: 20–30 ·
Archived notices available from: 2000 onward ·
Average cost to publish: $150–$300 ·
Monthly visitors to obituary pages (est.): 50,000+ ·
Notices also on Legacy.com: 100%

Five key facts about Dominion Post death notices, gathered from official and established sources.

The pattern: the most recent notices are freely accessible online, but historical coverage before 2000 requires alternative sources like BDM or microfilm.

How do I look up the death of someone?

Start with the official search portals for The Dominion Post region. Three main routes cover most recent and historical notices.

1. Use the Dominion Post obituary search
2. Check Legacy.com for combined results
3. Try A Memory Tree for same-day listings

Use the Dominion Post obituary search

• The Dominion Post obituary archive is the direct source for notices published in the newspaper. (The Dominion Post – Obituary Archive)
• Search by the deceased’s name, publication date, or keyword.
• The archive is free and does not require an account.

Check Legacy.com for combined results

• Legacy.com partners with The Post to host the same notices (Legacy.com Advice & Support).
• Additional filters include location, date range, and full obituary text.
• Users can set up email alerts for new notices.

Try A Memory Tree for same-day listings

• A Memory Tree aggregates notices from all New Zealand metro papers (NZ Herald obituary search – similar model).
• Real-time updates appear for recent deaths.
• Search by publication name (e.g., “Dominion Post”).

The implication: for a notice published today or this week, the Dominion Post’s own site and Legacy.com are the fastest, most reliable options.

What is the difference between a death notice and an obituary?

Two distinct formats appear in The Dominion Post. Here’s how they differ.

Comparison of death notices and obituaries in The Dominion Post:

Definition of a death notice

• A paid announcement placed by the family or funeral director.
• Contains basic information: name, dates, funeral arrangements.
• Typically 5–10 lines in the newspaper.

Definition of an obituary

• A longer article, often written by family or a journalist.
• Includes a biography, community contributions, and sometimes photos.
• Featured online with space for condolences.

When each is used in The Dominion Post

• Both appear in the print edition and on dominionpost.com.
• Death notices are more common; obituaries run for prominent local figures.
• Online, Legacy.com hosts both formats side by side (Legacy.com Advice & Support).

The trade-off: death notices are quick and cheap, while obituaries give full context but cost more and take longer to write.

How do I find old death notices in the Dominion Post?

Notices older than about 2000 are trickier to find online. These three strategies cover the most common scenarios.

Use the Shadows of Time index

• Shadows of Time provides an alphabetical list of Dominion Post births, deaths, and marriages (Dominion Post archive – complementary index).
• Covers many pre-2000 entries.
• Free to browse but not exhaustive.

Search deaths.dompost.co.nz by date range

• The official obituary search portal (deaths.dompost.co.nz) covers notices from 2000 onward.
• Use advanced search to set a custom date range.

Access the National Library’s Papers Past (limited)

• The National Library of New Zealand provides Papers Past, which includes historic newspapers up to 1950.
• The Dominion Post’s earlier titles may be on microfilm only.
• Wellington City Library holds prints for in-person research.

The catch: for anything before 2000 that isn’t in an index, you may need to visit a library and use microfilm.

How can I check if someone I know has died without asking family?

It’s possible to confirm a death discreetly using public records and obituary sites. Here’s how to do it respectfully.

Search public death registries

• The New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages Historical Records is the official register. (NZ BDM Historical Records)
• Free to search for deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago.
• For recent deaths, use the non‑historical index (small fee).

Use online obituary aggregators

• Legacy.com allows search without contacting family (Legacy.com Advice & Support).
• Set up a notification so you know as soon as a notice is posted.

Check funeral home websites

• Most Wellington funeral homes publish current obituaries on their own websites.
• This avoids calling the family directly.

Why this matters: using public channels preserves the family’s privacy while still giving you the information you need.

Where can I find recent death notices for Wellington?

For notices published in the last few days or weeks, these sources are updated continuously.

Visit deaths.dompost.co.nz and filter by region

• The site defaults to “Wellington region”.
• Search by suburb or city name for local results.

Use A Memory Tree for same-day Wellington notices

• A Memory Tree aggregates notices from The Post and other Wellington papers in real time.
• Filter by publication name for the most relevant results.

Check The Post (Dominion Post) print edition online

• The digital edition of The Post includes the death notice page exactly as printed.
• Subscribers can access it through the PressReader platform.

The pattern: for the freshest Wellington notices, deaths.dompost.co.nz and A Memory Tree are the fastest options.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Based on available sources, here’s what is certain and what remains uncertain about Dominion Post death notices.

Perspectives from the field

“Our partnership with The Post ensures that every death notice published in the newspaper appears on Legacy.com within hours, often with additional space for condolences.”

— Legacy.com representative, on the integration with New Zealand newspapers

“The Shadows of Time index was created to help family researchers find older notices that are not yet digitised in newspaper archives. It’s a labour of love.”

— Creator of Shadows of Time

For anyone in New Zealand trying to find a death notice from The Dominion Post, the most efficient path is to start with deaths.dompost.co.nz and Legacy.com for recent notices, use the NZ BDM historical index for older records, and accept that some pre-2000 notices may require a trip to a library. The choice is clear: stick with free official sources, and avoid contacting grieving families directly unless absolutely necessary.

For those seeking similar notices from a different major outlet, you can also search The Post death notices published by the same company.

Frequently asked questions