The Auckland History Initiative at the University of Auckland presents 6 research topics by its Summer Scholarship students

The Auckland History Initiative at the University of Auckland will present 6 students speaking on their recent research into the history of Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau.

The talks have been organised into 2 events: the first event is on Friday 21st August and the second event is on Friday 4th September 2026.

WHEN: Friday 21^st of August 2026 at 6.30 pm.

WHERE: Remuera Library, 429 Remuera Road.

Friday 21 August 2026

1. Star Jackson

Title: Turning the pages: the history and social importance of the Auckland Public Library  

The Auckland Public Library has a long and rich history of community connection and civic participation. This research will explore the years of World War Two and the immediate postwar era, which are believed to have strengthened Aucklanders’ recognition of the library’s importance in public life.

2. Benjamin Mander

Title: Quarrelling Councils: Experiments in Early Auckland’s Local Government, 1851-1856

Voter turnout for Auckland’s 2025 local body elections indicated that interest in local governance is at an all-time low. The region received the lowest voter turnout in the country of only 29.3%. This was not always the case, and in the 1850s, local government was one of the town’s most pressing issues.

3. Kasia O’Meara

Title: Angels Only Lent: Memorialisation of Infant Mortality in Auckland, 1860-1910

New Zealand’s infant mortality rate was between one in eight and one in sixteen Pākehā babies dying before their first birthday before 1910, and the infant mortality rate for Māori babies, which was unrecorded until 1930 due to racism, was undoubtedly much higher.

Second event

WHEN:. Friday 4 September 2026 at 6.30 pm

WHERE: Remuera Library, 429 Remuera Road.

4. Emily Zhu

Title: Tiritiri Matangi: Open Sanctuary

Only a scenic 80-minute ferry from central Auckland, Tiritiri Matangi Island is best known today as a native bird sanctuary: a haven of birdsong, guided walks, and restored bush. Yet for centuries, the island was occupied and used by Māori, and later by Europeans, in ways that shaped and relied on both land and sea.

5. Rosa Willis

Title: How Tennis Brought the World to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

The story of international tennis in Auckland began as a trans-Tasman affair. Australia provided Auckland with its first international matches, and together the two countries competed as one in the Davis Cup. In 1920, Auckland held its very own Davis Cup competition, putting Auckland on the map of international tennis.

6. Penny Valentine

Title: Foundations of a City: the history of Winstone Limited in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland

Inspired by the researcher’s family’s connection to Winstones, this project examines the company Winstone Limited from its founding by William and George Winstone in 1864 until its amalgamation with Fletcher Challenge in 1988.

Please RSVP to Remuera Heritage for catering purposes.