Hocken Collections facts for kids

Hocken Library in 2005, housed in a former cheese-making factory.

The Hocken Collections (also known as Māori: Uare Taoka o Hākena) is a special place in Dunedin, New Zealand. It's like a super cool research library, a historical archive, and an art gallery all rolled into one! It holds a huge collection of important items about New Zealand and the Pacific. The University of Otago looks after this amazing collection. You can visit it to learn about the history of the Otago and Southland areas. It's one of the most important places in the country for historical research.

The Story of Hocken Collections

The Hocken Collections started because of a very generous person named Dr. Thomas Hocken. He loved collecting things and built up a huge private collection of books and historical items. Dr. Hocken decided to give his entire collection to the university. He wanted it to be available for everyone in New Zealand to use.

He first offered his collection for public use in 1897. But it wasn't until 1910 that people could actually access it. It was placed in a special part of the Otago Museum. The official opening was on March 23, 1910. This date was also the 62nd anniversary of Dunedin's founding. Sadly, Dr. Hocken was too sick to attend the opening. He passed away just two months later.

For many years, until 1965, the entire collection stayed at the Otago Museum. Over time, parts of the collection, especially the pictures, were moved to different places around the University of Otago. In 1980, all the collections were brought together again. They moved into a new building designed by E.J. McCoy. This building is now called the Richardson Building.

However, the collection kept growing and soon needed even more space. So, more items were moved to another site on Leith Street. Finally, in 1998, everything was brought together once more. They moved into a building that used to be a cheese-making factory! This building is on Anzac Avenue, near the main university campus. In 2005, the name was officially changed to Hocken Collections.

What You Can Find at Hocken Collections

The Hocken Collections has the biggest collection of old papers, maps, and early photographs about the history of the Otago Region. They also have many important collections about New Zealand as a whole.

For example, you can find the letters and diaries of Samuel Marsden. He was a very important early missionary in New Zealand. There are also records from the Church Missionary Society. The library also holds the personal papers of many important people from Otago. These include famous writers like James K. Baxter and R. A. K. Mason. You can also find the political writings of many community leaders. The library also has a large collection of photos taken by the famous Burton Brothers.

The Hocken Collections also has a huge collection of New Zealand music. This includes recordings and sheet music. A lot of it is related to Dunedin's famous rock-music scene. There's also a big collection of New Zealand art. The top floor of the library has an art gallery. This gallery often shows art from the library's own collection. It also features art from visiting artists and artists from the University of Otago.

Images for kids

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  Interior foyer

See also

In Spanish: Colecciones Hocken para niños