Launch of new Alexander Turnbull Library Manuscripts and Pictorial website featuring the papers of Sir Donald McLean

at the National Library, 11 December 2008

E nga iwi, e nga mana, tena koutou.

(Translation: All peoples, all authorities, greetings).

Thank you Penny, for the warm welcome. I am very pleased to be here in my capacity as Minister Responsible for the National Library of New Zealand.

The National Library's vision is to connect all New Zealanders to information important to all aspects of their lives and so be a National Library for all New Zealanders.

Today's launch of the new website featuring Sir Donald McLean's papers is a perfect example of how the Library brings that vision to life.  Here is a central figure in New Zealand's history who not only played a key and influential role in shaping our colonial history (in fact it can be argued that no other single person had such an influence on nineteenth-century New Zealand history); but he also left significant correspondence and papers about this particularly tumultuous time.

Those papers provide a very rich record of this time. He corresponded widely with both Māori and Pakeha and of course held numerous roles in the public sector - as New Zealand's first Native Secretary and in Government, as Minister in charge of Native Affairs.

Having recently become a Minister of Government I look forward to examining some of his papers in more detail - while undoubtedly it was a different time and place with very significant issues (for example Māori land wars). I wonder if the House sessions were that different to today's - I suspect not.

The website means that Donald McLean's speeches, letters, diaries and notebooks, even telegrams, are all there for all New Zealanders to access - whether it's historians, researchers, students or even New Zealanders exploring their family and whānau history.

I congratulate all those involved on this significant project - clearly digitising over 100,000 pages of material is no small task . That hard work and effort has paid off though, with an invaluable heritage asset that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, through the online world.

That's the beauty of the digital world which is having such a positive impact on the role of heritage institutions like the National Library that play such an important role in contributing to New Zealand's knowledge infrastructure.

Access to top quality, Kiwi content can only enhance our heritage and national identity and not just to provide an insight into our past, but also in helping shape our future.

The McLean Papers will add considerably to New Zealand's research and knowledge base and I am sure will provide invaluable source material for future resources, whether its books, television and film productions.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. I look forward to checking out the website and to getting my own insight into the life and times of Sir Donald McLean which have been so fundamental in shaping our society today.

No reira, koutou katoa te iti me te rahi.  Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

(Translation: Therefore, everybody, great and small alike.  Greetings everyone (x2)  Greetings to us all.)