Papers Past reaches 3 million pages

23 September 2013: Central Otago newspaper helps Papers Past reach 3 million pages

Historic editions of the Mt Ida Chronicle are among the more than three million pages of New Zealand newspapers now available online at the National Library’s popular Papers Past website.

Papers Past is an online collection of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. Currently it contains issues from 83 separate New Zealand newspapers, dating from 1839 to1945.

“Many of these newspapers ceased publishing decades ago, like Naseby’s Mt Ida Chronicle which boomed during the gold rush days but wound-up in 1926, while other titles remain today as essential parts of their community,” said National Librarian, Bill Macnaught.

“The original newspapers are increasingly fragile and difficult for researchers and students to access. The purpose of the Papers Past programme is to preserve these invaluable records of our past and to make them available to anyone, anywhere through a free and easily accessible website.

”Much of the original content digitised on Papers Past is held by the Alexander Turnbull Library – itself part of the National Library – but we have been delighted to work with local libraries, historical societies and newspapers to help put these precious papers online.”

The latest batch of newspapers to be digitised and bring up the three millionth page on Papers Past are the Timaru Herald (1901-1920), Mt Ida Chronicle (1869-1926), Oamaru Mail (1876-1920) and King Country Chronicle (1906-1920).

Visit Papers Past

Get in touch for more information. Allen Walley, Department of Internal Affairs, phone 04 495 9351 or 027 384 3009.