This is mostly a collection of augmented transcripts of manuscripts held at Archives New Zealand and the intention is to increase awareness of the Wellington Office collection. With a yearning to better use the years of acquired research knowledge and experience, the decision was made in June 2014 to spend time searching through collections of undescribed records held at Archives New Zealand. While doing so improved inventories will be generated and for records particularly rich in details partial or full transcripts may also be made.
In the first instance New Zealand Company records have been chosen due to the richness of this significant group of manuscripts. Suggestions for looking at other sets of records are welcome especially if this would provide assistance to researchers working on 19th century NZ history projects.
The passion to build resources for researchers of 19th Century New Zealand emerged in the early 1990s. Initial efforts focused on indexing official publications and the resulting index, called Pandora's Box, was donated to the New Zealand Society of Genealogists in 1997.
Two years later the www.nzpictures.co.nz website was established and over the years genealogical and historical data along with various images has been built and rebuilt into the form that it takes today.
In 2006 the transcription of New Zealand Government inwards correspondence registers, held at Archives New Zealand, was commenced and is now one of the core resources making up Pandora Research.
About one million letters were written to the New Zealand Government between 1840 and 1900. These are generally recorded in registers and most communities will be represented within the many thousands of letters that have survived. A few of the registers have been transcribed. Archives NZ have added more than half a million references to surviving documents to Collections search and these are the result of a concentrated effort to better describe and digitise parts of the correspondence collection. Much applause!
Brief CV Details:
Dawn Chambers
Born Opunake, Taranaki; Dairy Farm background
Education - Opunake Primary School; Opunake High School
Massey University - 1986 BSc Microbiology & Genetics
Employment 1986-2014 DSIR & GNS Science
(Cancer research technician; Administrator Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory)
Voluntary Research Activites
1990-1997 Pandora's Box
1999 to current www.nzpictures.co.nz
2014 to current Pandora Research
Any financial support for this website would be very welcome.
Last updated 15 January 2024
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