Hocken Digital Collections

Teviotdale, David : Papers

Details

Reference NumberARC-0432CreatorTeviotdale, David, 1870-1958DescriptionThis collection includes diaries, original and photocopied notebooks, clipping books, some correspondence and personal papers and photographs.
Only a small part of this collection is digitised and available through Digital Collections. Information about other items can be found on the Hākena catalogue, through the Library Catalogues link above.History / BiographyDavid Teviotdale was born at Hyde, Otago in 1870. His Scottish father, Alexander, had followed the goldrush from Australia to Otago in 1862. Between 1896 and 1912 he worked as a rabbit trapper, dairy farmer and bookseller before a job as a stationer in Palmerston enabled him to develop an interest in Māori 'curios', collecting at moa-hunter sites at the mouth of the Shag River. By 1915 he was recording these activities in his diaries. Around 1920 Teviotdale met H.D. Skinner, the newly appointed curator at the then Otago University Museum who advised him to catalogue his finds. From 1924, he began publishing various articles in the 'Journal of the Polynesian Society' including one on moa-hunter artefact types and practices at the Shag River mouth. After his wife's death in 1926 he began to cover a wider range of sites, mainly on the Otago Peninsula. In 1929 he was appointed assistant to H.D. Skinner and was awarded the Percy Smith Prize in Anthropology for his field work and papers. During his time as assistant to H.D. Skinner, he spent prolonged time at various sites, his longest period being 87 days at Selwyn Hovell's notorious excavation at Oruarangi pā, near Thames, in the summer of 1932-1933. During Teviotdale's time at the museum he added to and enhanced collections by several thousand artefacts. In 1942 Teviotdale took over as director of the Southland Museum, Invercargill, a post he held until he was 82.
(From: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography)

Photograph

Charlie, yours truly & Dick several simple hooks & composite hooks were found here', relating to archaeological excavations at Little Papanui and Whareakeake

'Charlie, yours truly & Dick several simple hooks & composite hooks were found here', relating to archaeological excavations at Little Papanui and Whareakeake

Depicts Or Relates To

SubjectsArchaeologyMāori - ImplementsExcavation - OtagoLocal history - Otago

Digital Collections

Hocken Digital Collections

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Teviotdale, David : Papers

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