Dick Scott (historian) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Scott
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| Born | Richard George Scott 17 November 1923 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Died | 1 January 2020 (aged 96) |
| Language | English |
| Alma mater | Massey College |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Subject | New Zealand and Pacific history |
| Notable awards | Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement |
| Relatives | Rosie Scott (daughter) |
Richard George Scott (born November 17, 1923 – died January 1, 2020) was a famous New Zealand historian and journalist. He wrote many books about New Zealand and Pacific history. He was known for telling important stories that had been forgotten.
Contents
Dick Scott's Important Books
Dick Scott wrote many books that helped people understand New Zealand's past. His first book, 151 Days (1952), was about a big worker strike in 1951. It showed how difficult those times were for many people.
The Story of Parihaka
Scott's most famous book is Ask That Mountain (1975). This book tells the story of Parihaka. Parihaka was a Māori village that used peaceful ways to resist European settlers. This important story was mostly forgotten by non-Māori New Zealanders. Scott's book helped bring it back into the public eye.
Ask That Mountain has been printed nine times. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark called it "one of New Zealand's most influential books." Historian Kerry Taylor said it helped change how many non-Māori people (called Pākehā) saw the history of colonisation. Scott was very proud of this book. He had also written a shorter version called The Parihaka Story in 1954.
Other Historical Works
Scott also wrote several books about the Auckland area. These include In Old Mount Albert (1961) and Fire on the Clay (1979). His book Seven Lives on Salt River (1979) won an award for non-fiction.
He wrote other books about New Zealand, like Inheritors of a Dream (1962), a pictorial history. He also wrote about winemakers in New Zealand. Scott explored Pacific history too, with books like Years of the Pooh-Bah: A Cook Islands History (1991).
In 2004, Scott published his own life story, Dick Scott: A Radical Writer's Life. In this book, he shared how he started writing and his journey as a historian.
Awards and Recognition
Dick Scott received several important awards for his work. In 2002, he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for his great work in historical research.
In 2007, he received the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement for non-fiction. This award recognised his important contributions to New Zealand literature. Later, in 2016, Massey University gave him an Honorary Doctorate. This was to celebrate how much his historical research and writing had influenced people.
About Dick Scott's Life
Dick Scott grew up on a farm near Palmerston North. He went to Palmerston North Boys' High School and later studied agriculture at Massey University. While working on a farm, he became interested in social justice. He joined a political group that focused on workers' rights.
He became a journalist. During the 1951 waterfront strike, he edited a newspaper for the workers. He also wrote special bulletins to share information.
Scott cared deeply about fairness. This led him to tell the story of Parihaka. Even though he didn't meet a Māori person until he was 20, he understood that injustice had happened. He felt it was important for the story to be shared.
Scott had five children. One of his daughters, Rosie Scott, became a well-known novelist. He lived in Auckland with his second wife.
In 2011, Scott did something amazing. He sold a painting he had owned for nearly 50 years. He donated all the money, NZD $300,000, to help people after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Dick Scott passed away on January 1, 2020, at the age of 96.
Selected Works
- 151 Days (1952) Penguin. ISBN: 0-7900-0783-5
- The Parihaka Story (1954) Southern Cross Books.
- In Old Mount Albert: Being a History of the District (1961) Southern Cross Books.
- Inheritors of a Dream: A Pictorial History of New Zealand (1962) Longman Paul. ISBN: 0-582-73815-6
- Winemakers of New Zealand (1964) Southern Cross Books.
- Ask That Mountain: The Story of Parihaka (1975) Heinemann. ISBN: 0-14-301086-7
- Fire on the Clay: The Pakeha Comes to West Auckland (1979) Southern Cross Books.
- Seven Lives on Salt River (1979) Penguin. ISBN: 0-7900-0708-8
- Years of the Pooh-Bah: A Cook Islands History (1991) Cook Islands Trading Corporation. ISBN: 0-340-55489-4
- Would a Good Man Die? Niue Island, New Zealand, and the late Mr Larsen (1993) Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN: 0-340-59953-7
- Dick Scott: A Radical Writer's Life (2004) Reed Books. ISBN: 0-7900-0976-5
