Largest surviving series of 19th century Maori-language letters available online.

Over 100,000 pages of diaries, correspondence, letterbooks, telegrams and other papers from Sir Donald McLean will now be accessible online through the Alexander Turnbull Library's new website Manuscripts & Pictorial mp.natlib.govt.nzLargest surviving series of 19th century Maori-language letters available online.

Over 100,000 pages of diaries, correspondence, letterbooks, telegrams and other papers from Sir Donald McLean will now be accessible online through the Alexander Turnbull Library's new website Manuscripts & Pictorial mp.natlib.govt.nzDavid Kukutai Jones, Kaitiaki, Kohikohinga Maori, Maori Specialist, Alexander Turnbull Library said "Providing greater access to the papers of Sir Donald McLean has seen the digitisation of more content in an effort to connect New Zealanders to information about themselves and also to enhance our own sense of identity and place in the world".

This is the largest digitisation project of manuscript material in New Zealand to date and the free delivery of these papers on the world wide web, will introduce New Zealanders and especially Maori, to a deeper understanding of 19th century Maori and Pakeha relationships and 19th century Maori and Government relationships.

McLean's papers have long been regarded as one of the key primary sources for nineteenth-century historical research, but their size and relative inaccessibility has often daunted researchers. They include the largest surviving series of Maori-language letters from the nineteenth century, extensive diaries and notebooks, telegrams, letterbooks, reports and other documents from McLean's long career. The new website will bring 100,000 pages of digitised material and 60,000 pictorial images to your fingertips.

John Mohi, Kaiwhakahaere Maori said "Of particular significance are the 3000 letters from Maori they are a rich source for Maori attitudes to land ownership and sale, as well as to social history of Maori communities and inter-hapu politics.

"They will also allow further research by linguists and other language scholars about the early development of Maori as a written language."

The Library is particularly grateful to the te reo scholars of the E Ma; Nga Tuhituhinga ka a Makarini project including Dr Ngapare Hopa, Te Kohu Douglas and Dr Jane McRae, who have already contributed over 500 transcriptions and translations of the Maori letters. The translation project has been separately funded by the Nga Pae o te Maramatanga The National Institute of Research Excellence for Maori Development and Advancement. The E Ma work is now linked to the digitised images of the letters, and is a major feature of the website. The E Ma team will continue to work on the letters. Translations by other scholars are also being added and it is planned to have full transcription and translation of all the Maori letters completed by 2010.

Image : Elliott Young, Digitisation Projects Leader, Hon Dr. Richard Worth, Minister Responsible for the National Library, David Colquhoun, Curator of Manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library at the launch of the website Manuscripts & Pictorial featuring the papers of Sir Donald McLean.

16/12/08