Wairarapa archivist?s work recognised | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

THE man recognised as Wairarapa's walking encyclopaedia of history, archivist Gareth Winter, is one of eight people to win a Masterton District Council Civic Award.

Mr Winter has been credited with moving the fledging Wairarapa Archive on from humble beginnings to its present role as a major historical repository used extensively by people from within and from outside Wairarapa.

Sharing a coffee yesterday with heritage expert Ken Scadden, who was the man commissioned by the council to report on Aratoi, Mr Winter said several things had worked to his advantage in establishing the archive.

"Firstly there is the team of both paid workers and volunteers that we have here. It would not have been possible without them."

Mr Winter said he enjoyed great support from the councillors and from the library staff who work in conjunction with the archive.

A further huge benefit was having an archive with a shop-type frontage on the main street that people could easily access and felt comfortable entering.

Earlier this year Mr Winter was dubbed a "living treasure" by Mr Scadden during research into Aratoi that also looked at the work of the archive.

He said then he had been brought back to earth by a comment made by a family member.

"I was told treasures are those things you put on babies and when they are full they are disposed of."

Mr Winter said his passion for history means that a walk through a cemetery is a walk in the present, not a walk in the past.

"Headstones are like real people to me."

Mr Winter is a prolific writer, producing many historical feature stories published in the Wairarapa Times-Age and several books.

He said the role of an archive must be not only to get information into the archive "but to also get it out".

"It's about disseminating information to the community."

His work has recently involved helping to gather an extensive oral archive, expected to be a huge benefit to future generations, and an ongoing role is speaking to schools.

"This year, being Masterton's sesqui year, I think I have just about spoken at every single primary school."

Other civic award winners who, along with Mr Winter, were to receive their awards at a special ceremony today are Bill Peters, Brian Still. Carol Buck, Shirley Esler, Tere Torea, Donald Simpson and Gerald Laing.