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Documentary Archives Collection

The Macmillan Brown Library holds over 3000 linear metres of documentary archival material. The inventories for these collections are available online.

We have listed some of our most significant collections below. Please note this is an indicative list only. For an exhaustive list of our holdings please search Digital Library.

Trade Unions

The Macmillan Brown Library is Canterbury’s single largest repository of Trade Union Archives. We hold minute books, correspondence and financial papers from a variety of Trade Unions dating back to the 19th century. This category is a significant resource for all those interested in researching New Zealand industrial relations. Donors within this group include:

  • The New Zealand Watersiders Union
  • The Council of Trade Unions
  • The Federation of Labour

Groups and Individuals Active in Social Change and Voluntary Organisations

We are continuing to build our collection in this often neglected category. We hold archives from a diverse range of people and organisations including:

  • The Ancient Order of Foresters
  • The Christchurch Nuclear Free Peacemaking Association.
  • Halt All Racist Tours (HART)
  • Pacifist, Conscientious Objectors and Peace Groups records
  • Peter Lusk
  • Patient’s Rights Inc
  • The Prisoner’s Aid Society (PARS)
  • The National Council of Women
  • The New Zealand Navy League
  • The Society of Friends
  • Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand Inc [YHANZ]
  • Canterbury Volunteer Centre
  • The Pacific Leprosy Foundation
  • The Victoria League of New Zealand ( Canterbury Branch)
  • The Royal Overseas League
  • Salisbury Street Foundation
  • Home and Family Society
  • Robyn Duff papers (relating to the Gay liberation movement)

Political Parties and Politicians

We have papers from Canterbury politicians and political parties. Special access restrictions apply to some of these collections. Included amongst these records are the papers of:

  • The New Zealand National Party
  • The New Zealand Labour Party
  • The New Zealand Values Party
  • The New Zealand Social Credit Political League Records
  • Sir Geoffrey Palmer
  • David Caygill
  • Tim Barnett
  • Ruth Richardson
  • Max Bradford
  • The New Zealand Democratic Party

Writers and Artists Papers

 We are Canterbury's largest archive of literary manuscripts and associated papers and we also hold significant collections from local artists. We hold correspondence and papers from:

  • Rewi Alley
  • Ursula Bethell
  • Keri Hulme
  • Stevan Eldred Grigg
  • James K Baxter
  • John Weir
  • G R Gilbert
  • Mervyn Thompson
  • Ngaio Marsh
  • Robert Pinney
  • Arnold Wall
  • Mona Anderson
  • Chrystabel Aitken
  • The Arts Council of New Zealand
  • The Physics Room
  • Peter Ireland
  • Cora Wilding

Personal and Family Papers

Researchers are able to access a great deal of material deposited with us by individuals and families. This material includes correspondence, diaries and personal records. Some of the most heavily used materials in this category are:

  • The Acland Family Papers
  • The Baverstock papers
  • The Armitage family papers
  • Samuel Hurst Seagar papers
  • James Hight papers
  • Leo Bensemann papers
  • Muriel Bradshaw papers
  • Brian Wyn Irwin papers
  • The Fenwick Family papers
  • The John Hall papers
  • The John Macmillan Brown papers
  • The John Bell Condliffe papers
  • Harry Reginald Hornsby papers

Professional Associations

This category includes material from:

  • The Canterbury District Law Society
  • The Nurses’ Association
  • The New Zealand Association of Social Workers

Business and Commerce

We are collecting an increasing amount of material from local Canterbury businesses. Some of the largest collections in this category are materials from:

  • Caxton Press / Landfall
  • Lichfield New Zealand.
  • The Canterbury Frozen Meat Company
  • Booth MacDonald and Company Limited ['BoothMac's'] / Kariori Fibre Company
  • New Zealand Stock Exchange photographs
  • Christchurch Gas Works
  • Hall and MacKenzie

University of Canterbury

We are the repository of the University of Canterbury’s non-current archival material, including University of Canterbury College Inwards Correspondence from 1873-1957.

We also hold material from notable Canterbury lecturers, and the archives of some special projects carried out by academic staff. Certain University clubs have deposited their archives with us and we hold records from the University of Canterbury Students Association. Other University affiliated organisations include:

  • Helen Connon Hall
  • Bishop Julius Hall Association
  • Rolleston House
  • The University of Canterbury Drama Society

Research Collections

Over the years we have gathered collections of materials that have a particular research focus, including:

  • The 1981 Springbok Tour Archive (a digitized version of this is available via Digital Library).
  • The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal Records (an HTML version of this inventory can be found here; it is also available via digital Library).
  • Jan Willem De Jong papers
  • The Ron Every Papers
  • The Karl Popper papers
  • The Writing Research Aotearoa Archive
  • Origins of New Zealand English Project Archives
  • The Diary of Mr. Francis Hayter
  • The Comber manuscript
  • The R B Holmes collection (relating to the North West Frontier region of India)
  • We also have papers relating to New Zealand’s involvement in Military matters include the First and Second World Wars, the Vietnam War and the Boer War.