Canterbury History: Third Volume Soon

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30499, 22 July 1964, Page 22

Canterbury History: Third Volume Soon

The third volume of the Canterbury centennial history has been completed by Dr. W. H. Scotter, the manuscript is now being set in type, and publication is expected early next year.

“Tills will be the fullest treatment for any New Zealand province of the period from the abolition of provincial government to recent times,” said Professor N. C. Phillips, chairman of the history committee of the Canterbury Centennial Association.

Professor Phillips said Dr. Scotter had undertaken extensive new research so that the narrative could be supported by a valuable series of appendices. All this gave assurance that this would become a standard reference work. The third volume will have 13 chapters covering the periods from 1875 and an epilogue carrying the narrative to the centennial celebrations of 1950. “This is a convenient point at which to round off the survey without going too far into recent history,” said Professor Phillips. Dr. Scotter had broken the years 1875 to 1950 into distinct periods with three chapters on each comprehending economic, social, and political history. There would be 32 pages of Illustrations, four pages of line drawings and maps, and 14 appendices on such topics as population, farming, industry. exports, and settlement The whole Canterbury history in three volumes would thus trace Canterbury settlement from its Maori origins almost to the present Professor Phillips said.

The second volume is being written last, and Dr. Scotter is well on with this work. It covers the period from the winding-up of the Canterbury Association to the abolition of the provinces. For this Dr. Scotter is working largely though not entirely on material gathered by Mr G. C. Hensley, who is now in Wellington after two years with the New Zealand mission to the United Nations. 2000 Copies It is proposed to print 2000 copies of the third volume. Professor Phillips said this would enable those wanting the complete set to buy from available stocks of volume I and acquire the others on publication. Professor Phillips said he wished to acknowledge Dr. Scotter’s unremitting care and achievements. The completion of the third volume had been made possible by generous financial assistance from the Christchurch City Council and by the University of Canterbury engaging Dr. Scotter as a research lecturer for some years. The help of both bodies was needed to supplement the Centennial Association’s allocation for the history.