2002: The Governor’s Stolen Diary

July 7, 2020

By AHNZ

Dormant diaries will appear sometimes, erupting like volcanoes to shake up or even replace what we thought was New Zealand’s history. The revelation of in Edward VIII’s mistress’s diaries in 1996 were a minor tremor. On the other hand, the diary of Ensign Best, discovered in 1955, represented an earthquake in our understanding of the Hobson Hegemony and the signing of the Treaty in the 1840s. Yet compared with those the stolen diary of New Zealand’s 5th Governor¹, Thomas Browne, represents a volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera proportions.

Governor Browne and his wife both kept diaries during crucial and fascinating years in New Zealand history. They could teach us so much about the years between September 1855 and 3 October 1861. We could learn about his surprise appearance, his first impressions of New Zealand. The establishment of the New Zealand parliamentary system. The Taranaki War. The Kohimarama Conference. The take-over of Invercargill. The truth behind that mystery bust of Queen Victoria from the Kaiapra that’s now down by Taupo²…..the possibilities are endless! It would surely drop a nuke on what we think we know about our past.

“A military man, especially a commander should keep a journal. After he’s gone, it’s the only real defence against the slander that later arises.”- The Postman (1997)

Shiwa Ngandu

The Brownes’ papers spent most of their existence in an old leather trunk in the attic of Shiwa Ngandu, Rhodesia. They came into the possession of the Governor’s grandson, Stewart Gore-Browne and then passed to his own grand children including Penelope Daly.

“As a child, I recall the scary excitement of being allowed up into the attic,” said Mrs Daly. “We had to climb up a wooden ladder, go through a hatch and up into the dark attic below the tiled roof.”- Penelope Daly, NZ Herald

“I went up into the attic one day and found an old leather trunk with a rusty lock and key.”- Penelope Daly, The Ensign

Then, in 2002, Penelope Daly generously sent the collection to Archives New Zealand from her home in Abu Dhabi. Although the Browne papers and diaries pertained to events and places all over the globe but it was considered that the New Zealand component made up an important enough core that the entire collection be entrusted to ‘us.’

“After finding these, she decided to take them to New Zealand so they could be archived and protected…They are important not only to my family history but also to New Zealand history,” she said.- ibid

Sir Thomas Gore Browne papers. (These are missing, presumed stolen; the detailed handlist is all that remains.) – Racial Crossings (2011)

Yet, those vital New Zealand years are totally missing from the record today. Visit Archives New Zealand’s Archway and you’ll see. The records of both Mr and Mrs are neatly missing in the years where New Zealand used to be.

Did anybody copy them before our Government lost them? Is there an explanation? What might be the motive for the vanished primary sources? Some explosive revelation about our Parliamentary System? New insights into the Treaty of Waitangi that would make its re-invented status look silly? The basis for re-litigation and embarrassment of countless settlements and decisions over the last 160 years?

Truly someone has looted our nation’s treasures. Of course you wont hear about this from State historians. Nor will anyone but a Libertarian Anarchist dare suggest that things of value ought never be given willingly to The State to look after!

—

Note: I have written to the family and to Archives NZ in the hopes of learning more about this scandal

Image ref. Diary of the Governor’s wife, Harriet, in excellent condition based on this picture of it; Archives NZ; Wikipedia

1 By Anarchist Reckoning

2 An enigma beside the Otamatea River; Timespanner

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