OUR HISTORY
HINDERED BY REMINISCENCES
In the course of a paper on the New Zealand Archives read at the Science Congress in Auckland, Dr. G. H. Scholefield, Controller of Dominion Archives, said he hoped that the establishment of the division of Archives in New Zealand would materially help to set the study of New Zealand history on a proper scientific basis. "Up to the present," said Dr. Scholcfield, "history in New Zealand has been oppressed by the worship of recollections and reminiscences of 'old identities.' Such memories, interesting as they may be, are of very little value from the historical point of view, and the prominence that is given to them by well-meaning people and societies imparts an entirely wrong perspective to the study of our history. It stands to reason that the recollections of the most intelligent person regarding events that happened even fifty years ago cannot possibly have the accuracy that characterises a contemporary letter written by even a moderately educated person at the time the events occurred.
"Diaries ,or letters written at the time the events occurred are of the very, highest value, and I hope that as the: years go by families in New Zealand' will be encouraged to make public selections of the letters and journals'writ-, ten by their ancestors in the early days of the colony. Several such have appeared lately—notably the Grace, Bidwill; and Butler letters —and they have a real value in the:history of New Zealand." ..:,, .".-'
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19290130.2.168
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 17
Word Count
244OUR HISTORY Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 17
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