Over the past six months a considerable amount of work has been progressed on the digitisation of print photographs held within the Ngāi Tahu Archives at the Macmillan Brown Library. As of the end of July, 536 photographs have been digitised from the photograph albums stored in the Ngāi Tahu Archives, and are now saved on the Ngāi Tahu server with back-up photographs held on external hard-drives.
A major part of this work has involved the identification of people, places and events associated with those photographs. Recently the Ngāi Tahu Archives team joined the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Team at a four-day hui at Awarua and Ōraka-Aparima to gather information for photographs of a number of tribal and regional significant events. These included the 1990 Tūhawaiki Memorial Plaque unveiling on Ruapuke Island, the 2002 Rakiura National Park Opening, the 1993 Charter Signing at Riverton, 1999 Reo Rumaki hui at Ōraka-Aparima, 1999 Mōkihi Wānanga at Ōraka-Aparima, and the WAI-27 Claim Hearings at Tuahiwi Marae and Te Rau Aroha Marae.
We would like to thank all the kaumātua and pakeke who have supported us in providing information on these significant photographs.
From left; Gerard O’Regan, Trevor Howse and James Mason Russell working with Karen Hubbard (nee Meihana) on the WAI-27 photograph albums.
At the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping hui. From left to right; Annie O’Brien, Anne Wakefield, Jane Davis, Stewart Bull, Breeze Gover, Trevor Howse, Joe Wakefield, Muriel Johnstone, David Higgins.