NATIONAL ARCHIVES
..' '.''» COLLECTION PROCEEDING STEADILY IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS SECURED ■ The collection of the national archives ■teras mentioned ft the annual meeting (of the New Zealand Board of Science ■and Art yesterday. . : Dr. J. Allan Thomson, Director of :4he Dominion Museum, made a report ten'the work dono during the year 1918 in the extension of the national hisfcoriaj collection. An appeal to relatives of early settlers had been sent to 1157 Saddresses, and was still being issued. She replies on the whole Tiad been sympathetic, and a.fair amount of .printed material had been obtained, including some valuable early books, -but little .irJocumentary matter had been obtained. t SVo important'doouments had been forwarded, by Mr. William Busby, grandson of Captain Busby, the first British (Resident in New Zealand. These dbcuiments consisted of a letter-book containing copies' of all letters sent 1-y Captain Busby to the Colonial Secretary in Sydney, and of an unpublished "history of New Zealand written by (Captain Busbv on'his', way to England ■in 1841. The latter was'given conditionally, on. being printed W the Government, but publication had been deferred until after the war. These two [document's justified the appeal. No local committees had been set up. Inquiries 'made in Dunedin and Christchurch indicated, that interest' in the local historical collections was so strong that it {was .inadvisable' fo establish local comferttees in those centres.f The .Minister of Internal.- Affairs «Hon. G. W Russell) stated that the [collection of national archives was pro|ceedini!; steadily. 'He had his eye on [soinb .important collections tliat' lie poped-to be 'able to secure in the...future. Dr. Allan Thomson* had done' a great, deal of work in assisting the aboard to get- together what would eerftainly form the foundation of a. very, [tine national collection indeed. .-..- ■ ( Members ; of- the ■ hoard, mentioned {that the people of the provincial districts showed a strong- inclination to fkeep their provincial record in their ,jpwn cities, and did not care to add ithem to a national collection'; '_ . ' ' ! i Mr. Russell said- he thought instruc- j ftions should be given for the overhaul- j Sng of tho records of the various.pubfli'c Departments'-in order ant'national documents might, be reicovered from the obscurity in which {they, now. rested.' He wished to see Sail the historical documents indexed, ibo that they would-be - , readily accesspie to students.' . . Dr. Allan Thomson said, he-had been (given to understand.that, there was leomo chance now of securing from the South African ; Government • some important papery of. Sir • George: Grey jdealing. with New/.Zealand. Earlier ■efforts to secure these papers had not ibeen successful. '. , ■ • The Minister said that he had this ((matter in hand.. He was trying to a'rtrahge for an ■ exchange, New Zealand rlo get papers that were of special infterestto it .:in return-for other Grey ba'pers dealing with Cape Colony. ; | Mr. J Hislop;-Under-Secretary...for [Internal' Affairs; ■ • mentioned that' a (large quantity of .valuable papers supjpli'ed. by-the Colonial Office had'been [stored- in the- basement of the new [Wellington Police. Station. ~ " Formerly ifthey had ■■ been stored at the' Mount (Cook Barracksy but".the Defence authorities hacl required all the accomjwodation there. - . .
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 114, 31 January 1918, Page 7
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507NATIONAL ARCHIVES Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 114, 31 January 1918, Page 7
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