In the editorial, Margaret Pointer discusses some of the highlights of the Pacific History Association Conference, which included Aroha Harris’s keynote presentation on locating the Pacific in Māori history, as well as streams on ‘New Zealand’s Pacific Empire’ and ‘Decolonising the Pacific’. Pointer also summarises a recent meeting she had with the National Library of New Zealand to discuss the Pacific Collections, as part of ongoing efforts to foster links with the library.
Michael Kelly discusses the Resource Management Act in the light of recent suggestions by the National-led coalition that it has been stifling the economic progress of the country, and concludes that the Act is working largely as intended and provides a necessary brake on the worst kinds of activities.
Hilary Stace outlines her archival research on the history of intellectual disability in New Zealand. David Verran reports on the availability of biographical clippings files from the Auckland Star at the Auckland Central Library. Ewan Morris summarizes the ‘Colonial Objects Conference’ held at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, and Imelda Bargas reports on the ‘Endurance and the First World War’ conference held in Christchurch.
Ian F. Grant makes several corrections to an article on cartoons in the previous edition of Phanzine, and Sheridan Gundry writes about her recently published local history, A Splendid Isolation. Gisborne: East Coast 1950-2012. Simon Nathan outlines the discovery of new collections belonging to Ferdinance von Hochstetter in Basel.
Read this issue: Phanzine April 2013