Third Volume Of Centennial History

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29382, 8 December 1960, Page 9

Third Volume Of Centennial History

The third and last volume of the Canterbury centennial history will be written by co-opera-tion of the University of Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council in engaging a virtually full-time author. He is Dr. W. H. Scotter, who has been head of English and history at the Ashburton Technical College and has considerable experience in this sort of work.

The university has appointed him a temporary lecturer in .history with some teaching responsibilities; but his primary job will be research and writing for the centennial history. The City Council has made additional funds available for the completion of the work.

Professor N. C. Phillips. as head of the Canterbury Centennial History Committee, said his members were gratified that the completion of the history (begun so long ago) now; seemed to be assured after many difficulties.

Because of delays after the actual centennial in 1950, it was decided to issue the history in

three volumes. The first on the pre-settlement and settlement periods (up to 1852) had been in the hands of the late Sir James Hight and the late Mr Carl Straubel and was published two or three years ago. The second on the Provincial Government period (1853 to 1876) was in the hands of Mr G. C. Hensley, a Canterbury graduate now employed by the Department of External Affairs. Research had now been completed and satisfactory progress was being made in writing. It was hoped that the third volume on the post-provincial period up to 1950 would be completed in the two years of Dr.

Scotters appointment This would be the most extensive period covered by any one volume and also the most amorphous because in it Canterbury cessed to have a political history of its own.

By stepping forward to enable the employment of a full-time suthor for the last volume, the university and City Council would hasten completion of a work which was of considerable interest to a great many people. Professor Phillips said Dr. Scotter has had 29 years’ teaching, including the Waitaki Boys’ High School and the Ash- „ burton Technical College. He

holds a New Zealand master of arts degree with honours in history and a doctorate of philosophy of London University where (in King’s College) he studied British colonial history. He was the author of one of the Otago centennial histories celled "Farm. Run. and Station.” and has also written a history of the Ashburton district He is married with two children.

Man Collapse*.—A man collapsed and died on the corner of Lambton quay and Bunny street Wellington, at 5.40 pm. on Tuesday. He was Mr J. Strachan, aged about 45, a labourer, of Fortunatus street. Vogeltown.—(P.A.l Remanded. Kasimirz Kaez Marek, aged 47. a Polish machinist, was remanded for a week wl

'hen he appeared again in the uckland Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Mrs Elsie Mary Leuschke. The Court

vas told that Mrs Leuschke was (till unfit to give evidence and lad been transferred to another lospital.—(PA.)