A generous $20,000 local donation to support the digitisation of heritage resources has helped unlock rare Taranaki history, with 178 issues of the Taranaki Gazette, dating from 1853 to 1861, now available online through NPDC’s Puke Ariki website.
The newly digitised Gazettes include 365 pages of fully text-searchable material, giving researchers, historians, students, whānau and curious locals easier access to some of the region’s earliest printed official records.
As primary historical sources, the Gazettes document both provincial government and everyday civic life, including population statistics, public works, land transfers, militia appointments and letters in te reo Māori, providing a reliable record of accurate information about Taranaki's past.
The project was made possible by the donation from New Plymouth residents Len and Heather Jury, supporting two digitisation projects through the Taranaki Research Centre, part of Puke Ariki Library. Their generosity has helped fast-track work that may otherwise have taken years to complete.
Hannah Russell, Puke Ariki Library Collections, Research & Digital Lead, says the Gazettes are an important resource, offering a vivid picture of how Taranaki functioned during its formative years.
“These Gazettes show the workings of a young province in motion, but they also reveal everyday details, such as who was arriving by ship, what roads and bridges were being planned, how schools were operating, and how communities were changing.”
“Having them digitised and fully searchable extends their reach. For the first time, people anywhere in the world can search, explore and connect with these important Taranaki records,” she says.
Notable entries include early census results, literacy statistics, a hand-drawn Survey Office map of Bell Block, then known as Hua Village, weather notes from 1857, and the 1860 proclamation of martial law.
A long-time Taranaki Research Centre user, Len Jury says he and wife Heather were pleased to support work that preserves Taranaki’s documentary heritage, making it easier for others to access.
“Everyone has a story, and too many of those stories are never told," Mr Jury says. "Making records like these available online helps people discover their heritage and understand the people and events that shaped their communities. The story may seem ordinary to you, but future generations will value it. If vital work like this isn’t done now, the opportunity can be lost forever.”
The donation is also supporting the digitisation of the Taranaki Daily News from 1946 to 1953 for Papers Past. The Taranaki Research Centre hopes future community support will help preserve other unique Taranaki resources, including the remaining Taranaki Gazettes from 1862 to 1876.
