Since 2007 I have lived in Auckland, New Zealand, but my heart will always be in Christchurch where I was born and bred. I work within the heritage field as Collection Manager - History at Auckland War Memorial Museum.I am an avid genealogist and taphophile having begun researching my family histories from the age of 14 which I thank my mother and aunt for spurring my interest. I have a very keen interest in things historical. My first ancestors to New Zealand were my GGGG grandparents John and Mary Ann [nee LAWSON] PAWSON who arrived in [Port Nicholson now Wellington] New Zealand in August 1840 and removed to Banks Peninsula in 1850. The last 'newcomer' to New Zealand - my grandfather from Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1926.
I have a love of Canterbury history/heritage with my Cantabrian ancestors GGG Grandparents Robert and Sarah [nee KITCHENER] EVANS arriving in December 1850 onboard the Cressy [their son Richard, my GGG uncle was the second to last Canterbury Pilgrim to die and was a Patron of the Canterbury Pilgrims & Early Settlers Association. The EVAN's family ended up populating both Christchurch and Rangiora.
Previously, I was part of the then fledgling Sefton-Kowhai Archives in the late 1980s-early 1990s and then held the position of Secretary/Treasurer of the Canterbury Pilgrims and Early Settlers Association 1999-2001, resigning to commence a degree in Mass Communications at Canterbury University as an adult student. Volunteer researcher, Facebook administrator and honorary life member of The Friends of Linwood Cemetery Trust, Christchurch.
I enjoy photographing military headstones and family memorials, especially those that aren't all that obvious, then researching and writing small bios for these people. I then add them to sites such as Cenotaph database, my flickr pages and any relevant website such as 28th Maori Battalion, Embarkation database - NZ units in South Africa 1899-1902, New Zealander's in Vietnam and other relevant sites. Hugely rewarding in 2014 was Sapper Robert Hislop gaining recognition as New Zealand's first WWI casualty and in 2015 - Constable Adam BEGG being memorialised on Police Remembrance Day after many years of championing for him.
My other interests are: museums, archaeology, anthropology, heritage, digital photography (my own), miniature hobbyism, mourning art and jewellery, cemetery photography, social history and collecting ephemera.
MY BUSINESS: MAGNA QUIES TRACING
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