Island papers for library

Press, 26 February 1977, Page 20

Island papers for library

A valuable collection of I ; diaries. scrapbooks. and < i letters relating to the Chat- 1 ‘ham Islands has been given jto the Canterbury Public 1 I Library. ii I The archives were origi- t inally compiled by Mr Thomas t Ritchie, who farmed in thej Chatham Islands between 1873 and 1930. His daughter, f Mrs M. L. Shandley. of Tad- i ranga. who later kept the t collection, was anxious for it 1 to be preserved and agreed I to give it to the Canterbury r Public Library because of Christchurch’s historical links c with the Chatham Islands. " Some of the diaries and a books are in poor condition, e but they contain material of f interest to scholars and his-! torians. The collection v includes early joostcards and f photographs of the Chathams. p an oil silk map of the mam island, and more than 50 1 letters from Mr Ritchie s a vhange: fire delays h

Maori acquaintances Many of the letters are written .n Maori Personal letters from Sir, Maui Pomare are of specialinterest and cover the period' from his school days to his. appointment as a Minister in the Massev Cabinet School days were not much fun for Sir Maui. He writes in an earlv letter. "I am tn the third class at Te Aute. Te Aute is a miserable place. I am sorry to say that I do not like it.” There are also two pen drawings of the schooner “Rifleman" which Te Kooti and his followers used tn escape from the Chathams to Poverty Bay The material is considered valuable because there are few records of the early period of white settlement in the Chathams, says the, archivist at the public librarv (Mr G Clover).