N.Z. HISTORICAL MATERIAL

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27962, 8 May 1956, Page 10

N.Z. HISTORICAL MATERIAL

Successful Appeal In Britain (From the London Correspondent of "The Press") LONDON, April 30 Britain is proving a veritable treasury of historical material on New Zealand. An appeal by the High Commissioner (Sir Clifton Webb) through several letters to British newspapers for articles, letters, diaries or paintings associated with the earliest days in the Dominion has revealed aston-' ishing results. More than 100 letters have been received so far, many offering material for exhibition, and the public relations officer (Mr Trevor Campbell) is expecting many more. He has been in terested in this work for some time and made an earlier appeal in 1952 with the late Sir Frederick Doidge. then High Commissioner in London. Mr Campbell has already visited many of the prospective donors of material and he is enthusiastic about the possibilities of getting some of it on “permanent loan” for the Dominion. “Our main aim is not so much to acquire the material now,” he said, “but to find out where it is. to keep in touch with the people and to encourage them that we are interested.’’ Already received is a diary written by Midshipman Comber between July 1838, and June, 1841, when he served under Captain Hobson and attended the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Comber later rose to be a RearAdmiral in the Royal Navy and had charge of the first Antarctic expedi- 1 tion. A grandson of Bishop Selwyn is still ■ living in Britain—he was brought up by his grandparents—and he has in his possession some interesting i material relating to his famous rela- 1 tive- The famous Otago whaler. Johnny Jones, has a great-grandson living in Buckinghamshire while relatives of Captain Cook have promised to lend his christening robe and other material. The time seems opportune for the Government to make such work official in an effort to acquire some of this material. Australia House has a small staff working on similar lines and much material of considerable interest and value has been unearthed in the last two years. If New Zealand leaves for too long the acquisition of valuable historical material it may well ’ be lost for all times.