Abercrombies

There are numerous websites which refer to NZ ship and pioneer diaries. I've listed just a few here. However there is a huge volume of writings available in archival libraries and elsewhere that are not readily found on the Internet. The URLs of the main libraries are listed here as well.

Libraries worth a close look:

http://www.natlib.govt.nz/en/using/2atl.html

http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/hocken/index.html

http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/mb/
You might even find my little contributions in this one!

If you can get your hands on a copy of a recently published book "Over the Mountains of the Sea" by David Hastings (Auckland University Press 2006), the bibliography provides some idea of the large number of diaries relating to the period 1870-85 alone. I haven't seen a similar list for the first decade of official immigration 1840-50 but it would be just as impressive.

Don Hutton's paternal grandfather, Robert (1849-1946), sailed from Greenock to Dunedin in 1874 and produced a remarkably readable ship diary which is in the NZ National Library. He doubts if many people know about it, but feels sure there will be others like it. Robert was something of a scallywag so, it's quite a contrast with other more sober journals. Don has made a private transcription of this diary.