Review: Te Kupenga: 101 Stories of Aotearoa from the Turnbull

The Alexander Turnbull library is the oldest section of the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington. Alexander Turnbull, a merchant and a book collector, designed the National Library and donated his collection to it in 1918. In reference to his method of collecting he said, “Anything whatever relating to do with this colony, on its history, flora, fauna, geology and inhabitants, will be fish for my net.” Aptly, then, Te Kupenga translates into English as ‘The Net.’

This book is a collection of essays about objects - from letters and paintings to journals, photographs, posters, banners and books - that play a part in forming Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. Each of the 101 stories consists of a photographed item and accompanying text, told by those who work in the library today.

Librarians were invited to suggest items for inclusion to compile this book. So, “This selection says as much about us personally, as it does about the collections” and “They each write in their own voice… all librarians can write but how we write varies enormously, a variety I see as a virtue” (Chris Szekely, chief librarian of the Alexander Turnbull Library and co-editor of the book).

I felt an affinity to storytelling as I moved through this book. Some stories are dynamic, we hear them or experience them, and then they are gone. Stories tend to have more gravity, and even more glamour, when we write them down or record them in some way.

It becomes preserved in the way it’s intended, in its original form from the storyteller, and we can revisit it over and over again. People from different times and places can share that story. While reading this book, many stories were familiar but there were so many wonderful others that I had never heard before and, to be honest, probably wouldn’t be likely to if it wasn’t for this book.

The musical background part of me particularly enjoyed the story Lagmhor Song Book; the song record-keeping of a Scottish immigrant community in Canterbury. One of the two record keepers was Alice Rowley, raised in poverty in Christchurch, not only a talented copyist but also the first woman in New Zealand to receive a Bachelor of Music degree.

I can appreciate the stories chosen were not all light-hearted or feel-good, but more informative and factual. Some of the more problematic areas of our history are highlighted in stories such as Actions at Parihaka and The Dawn Raids. The imagery for the latter is a 1976 information sheet outlining an incident of a police raid on a Tongan couple, written from the point of view of racial discrimination. A passage from the accompanying text “...the disgraceful treatment of Pacific communities meant they now regarded the police as enemies, leading to a fracture in relations that would take years to mend.”

Stories such at this are pivotal to understanding Aotearoa’s past and current societal behaviours. I believe every person needs to know the history of the place they live in in order to fully integrate themselves and others unto themselves. This book provides some precious education for New Zealanders because history is not simply about recalling events, figures and dates but about using what we know to understand our current standings and truths.

The stories aren’t just those that form the early beginnings of New Zealand but also stories up until current times such as Closing the Gender Pay Gap (2019) and Digital Diaries which talks about the tracer system for Covid-19 introduced in 2020. There is frequent use of Te Reo Māori throughout the book, including five essays that are written completely in Te Reo. Although I could only pick up certain passages - what a beautiful language to see in full written form. In reference to these stories, Szekely says, “They stand on their own merits in the language of our place, without translation.”

It easy to get drawn into another world when the book itself is beautiful. The collection of photography alone could have its own exhibition. The colour palette, the layout, the embossed hardcover and matte satin pages are all aesthetically pleasing and contribute to an enjoyable history lesson.

The creators of this book wish for it to be a book that New Zealanders want in their lives and homes, without a use-by date. The Alexander Turnbull Library Endowment Trust, working with the National Library, will ensure every high school in Aotearoa receives a copy, which will surely enhance the recent mandatory teaching of New Zealand history in schools.

Reviewed by Ash Damini