HISTORICAL RESEARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21961, 19 November 1934, Page 11

HISTORICAL RESEARCH

VALUE OF RECORDS PRESERVATION OF DATA The Bishop of Aotea-roa, the lU. Rev. F. A. Bennett, is very interested in the formation of historical societies in New Zealand with the purpose of collecting and recording permanently much of the valuable historical information particularly that concerning the Maori race—which at present is stored in the memories of old people and is likely to die with them. -

Bishop Bennett stated in Christchurch last week that at the. last conference of the Rotary Clubs in Wellington he had given an address 011 the necessity of forming these historical clubs in each centre to gather as much local history as possible. The branch in Hastings, which was started about six months ago, had been doing excellent work. Recently an address was given by a resident of the district who was 80 years of jige. in which she described the life >f pakeha and Maori about 70 years ago. On December 5, a Maori orator will give an address on the early history and traditions of the Maori people in the Hawke's Bay district. These addresses were being recorded by stenographers, said Bishop Bennett, and would be placed in the care of the High School at Hastings, where they would be tabulated and made ready for publication. In this way it was hoped to secure enough data for a valuabl? historical work, which would preserve some of New Zealand's most interesting history. Much of it had already gone beyond recall, but there remained much to collect from Maoris who were still living. An interesting feature of this work was that Maori place names were being studied, and their meanings and the reason for their being applied to particular places were being tabulated.