Celebrating the Collections & Archives of Otautau Museum

Today - the Tuesday after Easter is the ‘new’ date the Anniversary of Southland, NZ, is observed. TYPICAL EARLY SOUTHLAND SCENE: "Dad" Chilton, cutting oats with a horse-drawn binder in a paddock behind 'Vale View' their property by Otautau, early 1900's (photo kindly donated by Peter & Audrey Campbell - no known Copyright Restrictions) See here for photos and information on Southland today: https://southlandnz.com/ Today being the Southland Anniversary Day, is only a new development and one which was recently bought into being after much protest and plea’s from a large portion of Southland/Murihiku’s residents. The original day had been observed on 1 April, a date just after it was finally founded as its own province in 1861. This day of celebration was considered annoying by many of the province’s modern peoples, as it was close to both Easter and ANZAC and only a single day holiday. By sheer sense of purpose and pig-headedness, many started...

Private THOMSON, ALEXANDER DEAN - #42723, Rifleman:    ALEXANDER DEAN THOMSON   (photo from AWMM Cenotaph Site online)   Alex was born 10 September 1890, in Invercargill, recorded as being the youngest son of John (called James) and (William) Margaret Thomson, of Otautau, Invercargill. Although in his Military records and those who copied them, William has been wrongly recorded as his father’s name, when everywhere else this was always just James. It is only at James' burial that we find Alex’s father’s name was John, even though he was known as James. His mother’s name however, strangely seems to have actually been William MARGARET (nee Cheyne), and this is borne out both in Alex’s will – written just before he left for WW1 which names her as such, and also in her own death and burial records, along with her own will/probate. Their first child has Wilhimena Margaret listed as mother, the others just Margaret. I guess l...