‘Meticulous record-keeper’ gets his time in the sun

Māori archivist Rauhaina Scott-Fyfe and Ōtākou mana whenua Kiringāua Cassidy look at James Herries Beattie’s clipping book and notes before the launch of the Hocken Library’s digitised "Herries Beattie" exhibition on Thursday night.

The Hocken Library collaborated with mana whenua and Ngāi Tahu Archives to create a digitised version of the Herries Beattie Collection.

Hocken librarian Kelly-Ann Tahitahi said James Herries Beattie donated his papers, which included notebooks, newspaper clippings, books, correspondence, manuscripts and ephemera, to the Hocken Library between 1950-60.

"Beattie was a meticulous record-keeper, and his papers are a significant collection of information on the history of Otago and Southland, especially the traditions, place names and life ways of South Island Māori."

The digitised collection is available on the Hocken Digital Collections website.