Sir Donald McLean (1820-1877) was one of the most dominant figures in the history of Maori and Pakeha relations in New Zealand in the nineteenth century, and his massive collection of papers is now available online thanks to a recent initiative by the Alexander Turnbull Library. More than 100,000 pages of McLean’s correspondence, diaries and other papers, have been digitised and can be searched on the recently launched website.
This huge collection of manuscripts has long been a mainstay of historians researching Treaty of Waitangi claims, and includes nearly 3000 letters in te reo Maori from rangatira from around New Zealand. This wonderful resource from one of the most contentious figures in New Zealand history is now accessible to a much wider audience. Click herefor a link to the new website. [added 17 December 2008]