I've been making these zines which are annotated excerpts of primary sources from early New Zealand history. I guess I've always kind of had a fantasy of walking around pre-colonial New Zealand, and I'm curious about different different paths that New Zealand could have taken in its history. These first hand accounts, while deeply problematic in many ways and heavily biased by their positioning and authorship, also feel like a tantalizing glimpse of New Zealand at a fascinating crossroads.
Here's the list so far:
- Dieffenbach climbs Taranaki Mounga: An excerpt from Travels in New Zealand by Ernst Dieffenbach (1843)
- Notes on Port Nicholson and the Natives in 1839: An 1879 address to the Wellington Philosophical Society by Charles Heaphy
Part of what I enjoy about this project is creating a physical object. If you'd like to have a physical copy, drop me a line (simoncarryer@gmail.com) and I'll try get one to you. I'd also love to hear any questions, comments, or corrections on my annotations. I'm by no means a trained historian, and I am sure I have plenty to learn!