Archivist

This year the archives Christmas display features items from St Joseph’s Orphanage in Takapuna.. St Mary’s School opened on this site in 1849 . It was closed in the late 19th century and reopened in 1894 as St Joseph’s Industrial School and Orphanage for boys under the care of the Sisters of Mercy. In 1923 a fire gutted the building leaving the walls standing. It was rebuilt and a three storied wing was added. It reopened in 1924. The building still stands today- For the display we have the nativity figures from the orphanage and the 1925 orphanage diary opened …
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In 1927 Bishop Cleary published a book of children’s stories called The Garden. He used the pseudonym ‘Lunky Lee’ which was what his young nieces and nephews called him. Perhaps too, he recalled that a friend he met while a young priest in Victoria, Australia in 1895 also used a pseudonym. That friend was S L Clemens but most know him as Mark Twain. A volunteer entering records into our electronic catalogue noted that there is a letter from S L Clemens to Father Cleary dated 1902. Cleary became Bishop in 1910. Here is the full letter- Details on S …
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Michael Joseph Savage was New Zealand Prime Minister 1935 to 1940. His time as Prime Minister had helped lay the framework for modern New Zealand politics and to create the nation’s current social welfare system (https://digitalnz.org/stories/5c7ee6f712575743e5a72e72) While entering records for Bishop Liston into our new catalogue I noticed the following LIS 155: Documents about M.J.Savage, correspondence with Govt. LIS 155-1: Baptism certificate of M.J.Savage Here is some of what was in the file- According to Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand …”Brought up in the Roman Catholic religion, Savage for much of his life was a militant rationalist but …
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Over this year members of the Catholic Tongan community have visited the archive as part of their activities for the Jubilee year. One to two Saturday mornings a month groups have come to the Pompallier Centre for a display and presentation of items related to Bishop Pompallier followed by a tour of Bishop’s House. Over 200 have been through Bishops House so far this year. In the presentation I highlight that Bishop Pompallier visited Vava’u before reaching New Zealand and read from Pompallier’s Early History of The Catholic Church in Oceania (see below). There was always someone in the group …
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This year the Holy Father is set to proclaim St John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church during Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints. The celebration will take place in Saint Peter’s Square on November 1 in the context of the Jubilee of the World of Education (https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-09/pope-leo-s-liturgical-celebrations-for-november-through-january.html ). The title of Doctor of the Church is given to an ecclesiastical writer when the whole Church has benefited from their doctrine. Other Doctors of the Church include St Gregory the Great and St Jerome. The Auckland Catholic Diocese archives has several letters written by St John Henry …
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Congratulations to the Sisters of Mercy on the 175th anniversary of their arrival in 1850 and the establishing of St Mary’s College, Ponsonby. Here are a couple of items from the Diocesan Archives relating to the arrival of the sisters Sr Mary Cecilia to Reverend Mother 3rd May 1850. (POM 28-9 Sisters of Mercy, copies of letters 1850-68, note not in Sr Mary Cecilia’s handwriting) Sr Mary Cecilia to Reverend Mother 3rd May 1850 (POM 28-9 Sisters of Mercy, copies of letters 1850-68) 1863 Drawing of the New St convent. This would have been 1 year after it was built …
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The Auckland Diocese Archives holds bound volumes of the Catholic Newspapers including the Zealandia. The first edition from May 1934 The last edition from April 1989 The Zealandia is regularly used for research.   The archive also holds the Zealandia photograph collection together with  card file index. Not only do we have the photographs but we also have the camera that took them. Two other pieces of ephemera relate to Zealandia sales and advertising.

This week the Auckland Diocese Archive took a break from providing access and arrangement and description to focus on conservation. We hosted a workshop on paper repair and were joined by from the librarian at Colin Library, the archivist at St Mary’s Convent and the Anglican Diocese archivist. We all felt like we were on the popular British television show the Repair Shop. David Ashman from Book Studio One demonstrated simple repairs using heat set tissue and methyl cellulose Paste. At the same time demonstrating the tools and items needed – including baking paper! David Ashman demonstrating tear repair We …
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