The Apostolic Prefecture of Southern Oceania was established on 10 January 1830 and the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Oceania was formed on 2 June 1833. The Tahiti Mission was entrusted to the Congregation SS.CC. by decree of 20 May 1833. On 9 May 1848 the latter was divided into the Apostolic Vicariate of the Marquesas Islands, comprising only the Marquesas Archipelago, and the Apostolic Vicariate of the Tahitian Islands, consisting of Easter Island, the Friendly Islands, the Gambier, Tuamotu and Austral archipelagos, and the Cook Islands. By a decree dated February 1889, but ineffective until 1921, Easter Island was transferred to the Chilean Vicariate Apostolic of Villarica. On 27 November 1922 a separate Prefecture was established for the Cook Islands. The Archdiocese of Papeete was formed on 21 June 1966.

Administrative records of the Archdiocese and its predecessor organisations as arranged by Father Amerigo Cools and described in his Repertoire des archives de l'archidiocese de Papeete, 1970 (excluding the catalogued manuscripts, which are microfilmed at PMB 1082, and most of the maps and legal documents). The archives are arranged under the following categories:<BR> A.Autorites superieures<BR> B. Archidiocese de Papeete<BR> C/D. Personnel missionnaires <BR> E. Enseignement <BR> H/K.Rapports <BR> L. Administration temporel <BR> N. Aide <BR> P. Geographie, histoire, &c <BR> Z. Histoire de la Mission<P><B>See reel list for further details</B>

Under the 1926 Marriage and Registration Act the Chief Justice is also the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and the Registrar of the Supreme Court is the sub-registrar for the districts of Tongatapu and 'Eua. In other districts the local magistrate is the sub-registrar. A centralized registry combined with a sub-registry for the islands of Tongatapu and 'Eua has been created in the one office in Nuku'alofa under the Registrar of the Supreme Court. He is assisted by an executive officer (vital statistics).

Marriage certificates, 1892-1899, 1902-1909.<P><B>See reel list for further details</B>