Easier access to War Art online

(From the Archives New Zealand blog)

Fri, 29/01/2010 - 2:43pm

The history of war, through art, is brought to life online through Archives New Zealand’s new search tool.

Archives New Zealand’s Acting Chief Executive Greg Goulding says the new search tool allows easier access to digitised images and detailed archival information about the National Collection of War Art including descriptions of the 1500 paintings, drawings and sketches.

“The War Art collection tells a visual story of life on the battlefields and in the trenches during World War One and World War Two,” he said.

The collection includes the work of some of our well known artists, such as Peter McIntyre, Alan Barns-Graham, Russell Clark, Austin Deans, George Edmund Butler and Nugent Welch who were official war artists as well as servicemen during those times.

“The collection is a great source of information for researchers and historians who are recording the history of New Zealand’s part in world conflict.”

Greg Goulding says this latest development compliments an online exhibition of the War Art collection that was launched in 2007. “People can now view these art works as well as their detailed archival descriptions,” he said.

The details and images of the War Art collection can be viewed through the new search tool on”

The Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand

Below is a short segment that was aired on CLOSEUP on the 8th of April 2009 about some of the work and vision of The Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.

Wainuiomata (Wellington) Settler Roll

If you had ancestors who settled in the Wainuiomata/Wellington area, you might find them on this list. It also includes sheep owners 1868-1885.

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~dchamber/wainuiomataroll.htm

Wordless Wednesday - 1931 Earthquake

Hawkes Bay Earthquake

Tuesday, 3 Feb 1931

This looks so similiar to the pictures coming out of Haiti. About 257 people lost their lives in the 1931 quake.

Tombstone Tuesday - Charles Crowe, Great Uncle of Russell Crowe

When he was just a child of three Charles D. Crowe immigrated from Wales to Canada with his parents. When World War II broke out Charles became a pilot officer (air gunner) in the 432nd Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the fall of 1944 his squadron was based in East Moore, Yorkshire, England.

On the evening of September 15th, 1944 allied air crews launched a bombing raid on Kiel, Germany. Kiel, capital of the northernmost German state Schleswig-Holstein, was the site of several camps that provided slave labor for local industry during World War II. Because of its status as a naval port and as production site for submarines, Kiel was heavily bombed by the Allies during the war.

Charles and six other crew members, flying in a Halifax VII aircraft, were returning from the bombing run when their plane collided with a Halifax III aircraft of the 466th Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (also flying a crew of 7).

The crash occurred at 1:05 am (16 Sep) over the island of Als (Occupied Denmark, Nørreskove Forest). Wreckage from the two aircraft was found in a wide area between Elstrup, Østerholm and Hundslev. Five engines were found just north of the village of Hundslev.

All 14 crewmen perished. None of the crew could be identified, but most of their remains were collected by German Wehrmacht soldiers. The remains were brought to the German barracks in Sønderborg and on the next day taken to Aabenraa where they were laid to rest in Aabenraa cemetery on September 18th, 1944 (Aabenraa Cemetery (Denmark) near the south-east Jutland coast about 25 kilometers north of the German border). The burial was without ecclesiastical assistance, and there was no ceremony in connection with the interment, which not even the gravedigger of the cemetery was allowed to attend.

When the Wehrmacht and the Danish police had left the crash site area, a forester named Angelo and his woodmen searched the forest and collected a number of human remains. On the evening of 16 September these were buried in a small mound in the forest. Angelo said a short prayer and a propeller blade was set on the grave, engraved with the words "Here rest allied airmen 15.9 1944. Rest in Peace". On 5 June 1945 the forest mound was consecrated as a grave site.

The propeller was left there until after the war when it was replaced by a small stone with the text: RAF 19-9-1944. The propeller blade is now at the Sønderborg Slot Museum.

In August 1946 the British authorities decided to move the human remains to the cemetery in Aabenraa. Angelo and other local people strongly opposed this but after a couple of months of writing back and forth the mound was opened and the human remains taken to Aabenraa by the British military. The small stone can still be seen in the forest and each year on the evening of September 16th a ceremony is held in the forest by the mound.

(Charles was the Great-Uncle of actor Russell Crowe)

Evagean Publishing Ltd

Evagean Publishing Ltd has been publishing family histories in New Zealand for many years. Their website has a long list of books already published. I encourage everyone to take a look at the list and check for surnames that appear in your family tree.

Church Archives

Thanks to the online birth, death and marriage site, most of us can now locate the dates and places of these three life milestones for our ancestors. You may also know their religion or at least be able to make an educated guess. A logical next step would be to locate the church records for the baptisms, marriages and funerals on these individuals.

The keeping of church records in New Zealand generally began when representatives of each religious organization arrived in the islands.

Anglican Church (Church of England) records exist from 1814 onwards. They are held at the Archives of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch. Research can be undertaken in person or by contacting the Archivist at P O Box 4438 Christchurch Fax: 03-379- 5954 Email: archives@chch.ang.org.nz. There is no charge if research is undertaken in person, but donations are always welcome. Written research charges are $30.00 per hour, charged in 20 minute time periods. Photocopies of Baptism, Marriage and Burial records are available at $10.00 each. Reductions are available for 3 or more records at any one time. Photocopying is at the discretion of the archivist. The Archives of the Anglican Diocese are currently developing more online resources.

The Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives is located in Morley House, Latimer Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. There is also a branch of the Archives located in Auckland. Contact the Head Archivist by emailing archives@methodist.org.nz

The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch sells a CD with an index of baptisms in their diocese. As a general rule, Catholic Church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are held by the local parishes. In the archives at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament there are early baptisms for Akaroa, Lyttelton and Banks Peninsula, and for Shands Track. Shands Track records were for people from the Rangitata River to Cheviot with the exception of the Christchurch area. Records of homes for orphans and the aged are held by the institution that runs them or the religious orders which are in charge. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch does not hold published material.

The Archives of the Diocese of Christchurch are housed in a tower of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and consist of a varied collection of documents relating to property, personnel and events. An appointment can be made to visit the Roman Catholic archives. Most information is provided free of charge. Roman Catholic Archives web site is at http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/?sid=1037

The Salvation Army Archives will make available historical information about people who have been in their care for whatever reason. They can also provide some information regarding those who have been an officer or otherwise of some note in the Salvation Army, and you may find an obituary in the army’s periodical, the War cry, which is held at the Salvation Army headquarters in Wellington. Further details, including research fees and contact details, are provided on their web site. http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/research-media/archives-heritage/

Those with Lutheran ancestors (many were German or Danish), should check the Archives collection at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. You may also contact the President of the Lutheran Church New Zealand. The Lutheran Archives AUSTRALIA is the official repository of historical material relating to the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) and it also holds a limited collection of records from New Zealand.

The Baptist Church has a history in New Zealand dating back to the 1850s. Some of the church’s records can be found in the Hocken Collections http://hakena.otago.ac.nz/nreq/Welcome.html

The New Zealand Jewish Archives opened in 1980. The Archivist, Mr. Michael Clements MNZM JP, assisted by volunteers, will answer well-posed enquiries bearing on genealogy and family history. A donation towards the archives is expected for such enquiries. Contact information and more about the collection can be found at their website http://www.nzjewisharchives.org/

NZ Genealogy Toolbar

There are so many great tools and gadgets out there now to organize our web based research. One of those is custom created toolbars for your browser. I've created a toolbar with links to many of the websites I visit most during my research. It's free, safe, installs (or uninstalls) in seconds. If you'd like to add it to your browser, go to http://nzgenealogy.ourtoolbar.com/

Passenger Lists - Victoria, Australia Outwards to New Zealand

The NZSG (New Zealand Society of Genealogists) has a new CD for sale - passenger lists from Victoria, AU to NZ. Transcription of passenger lists of the ships leaving Victoria, Australia for New Zealand ports, as contained in VPRS 948 Outward Passenger Lists 1852-1923.

Buller District Cemeteries

Buller District (WEST COAST REGION) now has online, searchable database for Orowaiti, Mokihinui, Reefton and Boatmans Cemeteries at http://www.bullerdc.govt.nz/main/cemeteries/

Newspapers

I don't live in New Zealand, but if I did, there are many places I'd visit to pursue my genealogy research. One of those would be the local library for each town/city that my research subjects lived in. A few of the larger libraries have searchable online databases (such as the Auckland City Library), but most genealogical research material can only be viewed by going to the library. One key resource is newspaper archives. PapersPast.com is an excellent resource, but many of the newspapers published in NZ are not available there. Here is a sampling of some of those newspapers:

If your ancestors are Roman Catholic or of Irish origin you may wish to have a look at the New Zealand Freeman’s Journal (1879-1887), a weekly Catholic journal published in Auckland. It carried general news items, family notices, news items from Ireland as well as advertisements and could help fill some of these gaps in your research.

For those with Yugoslavian ancestors the Auckland City Library has (on microfilm) several issues of Napredek (Progress) written in the Croatian language and published irregularly in Auckland from December 1906 – June 1909. As well as publishing news from Yugoslavia and beyond, it includes items like marriage notices, reports of weddings, advertisements etc providing a rich resource for family historians.

It may be possible to track ancestors linked to the Thames gold mines in the following titles - The Times and Thames Miners Advocate, dated February 1869, followed by The Mail, March 1870. These were followed by the Thames Guardian and Miners Record, published 1871-72 and the Advocate and Miners News published 1874-1899. Both titles published a range of content from business advertisements, local news and court reports to issues and events surrounding the mining industry and land ownership.

The Waitemata Post 1910-1914 continued by the Waitemata News 1914-1917 provides a glimpse of life on the North shore. Covering Devonport, Northcote and Birkenhead it provides a great source for North Shore news, issues and events including news from the Borough Councils, some personal notices, and even news of people entering and leaving the area.

8 Million passengers names!

The Archives New Zealand recently completed the job of digitising some eight million names of passengers who arrived in NZ via ship between the years of 1840-1972. They will make the data available online in 2010.

Legacy Genealogy Cruise

The 7th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise, held November 8-21, 2010, starts and ends in Sydney, Australia and visits the following New Zealand ports: Fjordland National Park, Dunedin (Port Chalmers), Christchurch (Lyttelton), Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and Bay of Islands. Offers genealogy classes at sea. Learn more at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2010.asp