Tuesday, February 17, 2015

A day-by-day account of the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi - Archives New Zealand


2015 marks the 175th anniversary of the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi. In recognition of this landmark occasion, Archives New Zealand is tweeting records from the collection as they happened in 1840, using the hashtag #Waitangi175.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/Waitangi175

Each record is shared on twitter so that you can experience the signings day-by-day throughout 2015. You can follow these on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ArchivesNZ

https://www.flickr.com/photos/archivesnz/sets/72157649292890288

The tweets link through to the Waitangi 175 Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/archivesnz/sets/72157649292890288. Here each record is arranged chronologically. It forms an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history of the signings, with detailed captions and plenty of content to explore.

As the project coordinator, it has been a great learning experience—both in terms of the records we hold, and learning more about the Tiriti process. It has meant exploring some unfamiliar and interesting collections, such as harbour charts, patent records, publicity studios negatives, Governor correspondence, and school journal artwork.

The project runs until November, so get onto Twitter and follow #Waitangi175 or he Archives New Zealand account.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Public talk: Aro Valley Seminar

View of the Aro Valley with Brooklyn hill behind. Original photographic prints and postcards from the file print collection, Box 16. Ref: PAColl-7344-16. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22832349

I'm excited to say that I'll be speaking at the Aro Valley Seminar My Country Right or Wrong a Contribution to the WW100 Commemorations. It is planned for the weekend of 9-10 May and it will be held in the Aro Valley Hall, 48 Aro Street. There's some great speakers lined up, so it should be a very good event.

Here's my abstract:

Philip Josephs: Aro Valley anarchist


Aro Valley has long had a reputation for radicalism & radicals. One such character was the Latvian anarchist & tailor-cum-bookseller, Philip Josephs. Between 1904-1908, Josephs used his home in Aro Street to spread the revolutionary ideas of anarchism & anti-militarism, building a vibrant a working-class counterculture. This paper looks at his time in Aro Valley, his legacy, & some of his colourful cohorts.