The news just keeps on getting better for Wairarapa people compiling their family tree and for historians of all ilks.
Papers Past website has been expanded by reaching back to 1879 meaning early copies of the Wairarapa Daily - a forerunner of the Times-Age will now be available online.
Until yesterday the website was only able to offer a library of old papers dating back to 1902, but Wairarapa Archivist Gareth Winter said historic research has "moved into the 19th century" - a boon for genealogists.
Mr Winter said news that Papers Past was to be broadened had already excited many amateur genealogists and meant they could push on further using the digitalised archive rather than having to visit Wairarapa Archive to pore over copies of early papers.
