War in the twentieth century was an unforgettable and powerful experience for many individual New Zealanders, and a defining stage in the evolution of New Zealand as a nation.
As those New Zealanders who lived through war leave us, it is important that their experiences are not forgotten. We owe it to future generations of New Zealanders the preservation of as much as possible of the human evidence of wartime - the triumphs and the tragedies, the boredoms and the excitements.
This project seeks to encourage New Zealanders to save this precious heritage before it is too late.
Many people underestimate the value of the historical records in their possession. They may imagine that museums and libraries will only be interested in the heroic and the powerful. This is far from the case. War affected everybody, and to preserve that sense of its all-encompassing impact we must preserve the records of the ordinary and the domestic as well as of the heroic.
Many forms of evidence are worth saving:
If you lived through war yourself, look in your bottom drawers for letters and other memorabilia; or ask friends or relatives with whom you might have corresponded.
If you are of a younger generation, ask those members of your family or older friends and acquaintances about their wartime experiences. Then gently ask if they have any letters or photographs in their possession. Reassure them that the memory of their war, however apparently unimportant, is worth saving for posterity.
When an older family member dies, make sure that you examine all the documents and letters for items of historical interest before they are thrown out. Remember it is better to save too much, than save too little.
Once you have found some material which appears worth saving, seek the agreement of other members of the family to the idea of giving the material to a library or museum.
Then contact one of the repositories named below. These will all ensure that the records are stored in a safe and secure environment for future generations to use.
Once you have contacted the library or museum, remember that the donation is a gift to the future by you, and you have the right to discuss a range of options for the donation. These options, which will vary from one institution to another in accordance with their collecting policy, may include:
Before giving the material it is helpful to find out all you can about the person; or if the material is from your own life, try to recall the relevant dates and name the people in photographs. If you are able to do so, write this background up yourself. If not, make sure that you tell the archivist or librarian the information. Future users of the material will be very grateful if they understand the context of what they are looking at.
Once you have handed over the materials, make sure that you receive a formal receipt for the material from the repository. If you have agreed on conditions for the gift with the institution, the acknowledgement should spell out those conditions.
The following are some repositories which are suitable for receiving your material and which have professional standards of care:
Alexander Turnbull Library
National Library of New Zealand
Corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets
PO Box 12 349
WELLINGTON
email: atl@natlib.govt.nz
website: http://www.natlib.govt.nz
ph: 04 474 3021
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Te Papa Whakahiku
Private Bag 92 018
AUCKLAND 1030
email: director@akmuseum.org.nz
website: http://www.aucklandmuseum.com
ph: 09-309 0443
Army Memorial Museum
PO Box 45
WAIOURU 5458
email: armymuseum@xtra.co.nz
ph: 06-387 6911
Canterbury Museum
Rolleston Avenue
CHRISTCHURCH 8001
email: ccripps@cantmus.govt.nz
ph: 03 366 5000
Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust
Ruawharo Ta-u-Rangi
PO Box 248
NAPIER 4015
email: hbct@inhb.co.nz
ph: 06 835 7781
Hocken Library
Uare taoka o Hakena
PO Box 56
DUNEDIN 9015
email: hocken@library.otago.ac.nz
website: http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/libs/hocken/index.html
ph: 0 3 479 8868
Navy Museum
HMNZ Naval Base Devonport
PO Box 32 901
Devonport
AUCKLAND
ph: 09 445 5168
Otago Settlers' Museum
PO Box 566
DUNEDIN 9015
email: settler@es.co.nz
ph: 03 477 5052
website: http://www.CityofDunedin.com
Puke Ariki
New Plymouth District Council
Private Bag 48
NEW PLYMOUTH
email: porters@npdc.govt.nz
ph: 06 759 0860
Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum
Private Bag 4739
CHRISTCHURCH 8004
email: info@afw.co.nz
ph: 03 343 9532
website: http://www.afw.co.nz
Rotorua Museum of Art and History
Te Whare Taonga o te Arawa
Private Bag
ROTORUA 3220
ph: 07 349 4350
Southland Museum and Art Gallery
PO Box 1012
Queens Park
INVERCARGILL 9515
email: office@southlandmuseum.co.nz
website: http://www.southlandmuseum.co.nz
ph: 03 218 9753
Tairawhiti Museum
Te Whare Taonga o te Tairawhiti
PO Box 716
GISBORNE 3815
email: tairawhitimuseum@clear.net.nz
ph: 06 867 3832
Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand
PO Box 467
WELLINGTON
email: mail@tepapa.govt.nz
ph: 04-381-7000
Waikato Museum of Art and History
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato
Private Bag 3010
HAMILTON 2030
email: lyn.williams@hcc.govt.nz
ph: 07 838 6572
Wairarapa Arts and History Centre
PO Box 648
MASTERTON 5900
email: artsandhistory@xtra.co.nz
ph: 06 377 1210
West Coast Historical Museum
PO Box 22
HOKITIKA 7900
email: hokimuseum@xtra.co.nz
ph: 03 755 6898
Whakatane District Museum and Gallery
Te Whare Taonga o te Rohe o Whakatane
PO Box 203
WHAKATANE 3080
email: museum@whakatane-dc.govt.nz
website: http://www.whakatanemuseum.org.nz
ph: 07 307 9807 (Archives)
Whanganui Regional Museum
PO Box 352
WANGANUI 5001
email: libbys@museum.queenspark.org.nz
ph: 06 345 7443
website: www.wanganui-museum.org.nz