1642 ABEL JANSZOON TASMAN
‘On Epiphany eve … he sighted a small groups of islets to the northward … and, being a good churchman and explorer of some originality … named them Three Kings, a tribute to the Wise Men from the East who followed the Star.’
1769 CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
On 17th December he sighted the north-eastern extremity of the mainland and named it North Cape. On Christmas Day he was in the neighbourhood of the Three Kings, and thereafter the Endeavour was tacking to and fro, day after day, in a heavy gale, in a vain attempt to round Cape Maria Van Diemen … Christmas was celebrated in the old-fashioned way, as Banks tells us, by the eating of Goose Pye. The ‘geese’ were provided by shooting gannets on Christmas Eve. ‘

1814 REV. SAMUEL MARSDEN
‘On the afternoon of 16th December 1814, Samuel Marsden stood upon the deck of the brig Active as she sailed to the Three Kings … a few days later the Active anchored inside the north head of the Bay of Islands, opposite Rangihoua … on Christmas Day in the morning every European with the exception of the Captain and one seaman, went ashore.
At Oihi, in the Bay of Islands, stands Marsden Cross, bearing this inscription:
ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1814, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN SERVICE IN N.Z. WAS HELD ON THIS SPOT BY THE REV.SAMUEL MARSDEN

Mangungu was established in 1828 as the second Wesleyan Mission station in New Zealand, the first being destroyed in 1827. The existing house was built ca 1838 for the head of the Methodist Mission in New Zealand, the Rev. Nathaniel Turner. The station is the oldest surviving structure associated with the Methodist Church in New Zealand. The archive consists of a handwritten history by John Hobb’s descendant Mrs Emma Kirk, (54 p.) which was intended for “Dr Morley to use in his history”; a typescript history by Jean Irvine, Secretary of the Hokianga Historical Society; an account book of the Mangungu Mission station, 1837; a New Zealand Historic Places Trust ‘Mangungu Mission House research progress report’, 1973 and a pamphlet – ‘the Weslyan Mission Primer’, Mangungu, 1884. The featured primer contains ‘alphabets, lists of words, and easy reading lessons’ as well as the ten commandments in Maori, ‘Ko nga ture a te atua’. The 1837 account book includes several ‘house lists’ which itemise the contents of the house, and a letter from Rev. Nathaniel Turner in October 1837

Man, science and God, 1972.

Redeeming Creation, 1984.

Christ, creation and the environment, 1989.

Professor Morton had a long involvement in the Synods and governance of the Anglican Church and was a strong advocate for Creation Sunday in the Anglican calendar. Professor Morton was also a Lay Canon Emeritus of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland. He died in Auckland in March this year.

The recently accessioned  papers  consist of a selection of annotated drafts and copies of lectures, papers and addresses which span many years. They complement an existing collection of his lectures on man and evolution, at ANG 161/2/13.

         “Science and religion blended produce one unity”

 Click to view slideshow.

The late Rev’d Sir Kingi Ihaka was acknowledged and awarded the Iconic Maori Composer for 2011, at the Maori Music Awards earlier on this year. In 1964, Kingi Ihaka was president of the Wellington Anglican Maori Club from 1964 and probably became most well known for his compositions and direction of Maori cultural groups at competitions. Although his groups were famous and often won prestigious awards, he disliked the competitiveness associated with Polynesian festivals.

He composed waiata for the church and for competitions and many of his waiata like Nau mai, Piki mai and Ehara taku toa is still sung today around Aotearoa and the world.

At the library in the archives we have a collection of notebooks filled with known and unknown waiata from Kingi Ihaka. (KIN157/1/12)

In December 1838, Bishop Broughton, Bishop of Sydney, sailed for New Zealand with Octavius Hadfield, whom he had just ordained deacon.  He landed in the Bay of Islands 21 December.  On 5 January 1839, he preached at the first confirmation service in New Zealand.  The sermon was subsequently translated into Maori by William Williams and printed at Paihia that same year.  There is a copy of the sermon in the Library.

The library mourns the passing of a good friend in Bishop Sir Paul Reeves. Always aware of the value of the written record, Sir Paul was careful to ensure that his papers from his various roles in the Church were safely deposited in the appropriate archive.

From his time as Archbishop, we have his files relating to international and national meetings, such as the Anglican Consultative Council and Primates Meetings as well as papers and correspondence relating to his role.

Sir Paul’s Certificate of Consecration as Bishop of Waiapu on March 1971 and other related documents are also held in the archive. Papers relating to his role as a diocesan bishop both in Waiapu and Auckland are held in the archives of the Diocese of Waiapu and the Diocese of Auckland. 

Sir Paul was a student at St John’s College from 1956 to 1958. He later returned to the College as a lecturer in church history from 1966 to 1969, and then as Te Ahorangi of Te Rau Kahikatea, 1994 to 1995. He was made a Fellow of the College in 1989.