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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Melrose Library: Reflecting the Life and Works of Sir F. Truby King
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
‘<em>Truby King was the greatest man in New Zealand, and should have the most imposing monument New Zealand can build to commemorate him</em>.’ George Bernard Shaw, April 1934. <br /><br />Sir Frederic Truby King (1858-1938) was a scientist, farmer, gardener, doctor, and educator. He was single-minded to the point of obnoxiousness; an eccentric; and a financial incompetent who held beliefs that were often unscientific and glaringly contradictory. Because of his wide interests, King was also a great reader. About 1933, King’s library numbered some 1680 titles. In 1938, he bequeathed many scientific titles to the British Medical Association. In June 1989 the remaining volumes – the so-called Melrose Library – arrived in Dunedin from the Truby King House in Wellington. This collection of some 1000 volumes was collected by King in his lifetime; some are signed; many are annotated. Two-thirds deal with the health of women and children, consisting of both professional and popular texts. The remainder is non-medical, comprising works of general reference and some fiction. Subjects covered include child health, nutrition, paediatrics, child diseases, psychology, horticulture and animal husbandry, gardens, especially rose and rhododendron books, and social issues such as race theory and education. As the collection stands, it has been called ‘the best general collection in New Zealand, of publications on the general subject of the health of women and children for the period of 1900 to 1938’ (Strachan). A select number of books from King’s library have been used in this exhibition to highlight his life and activities: his early years, his education, his work at Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, and his pioneering work in child and infant care. The establishment of the Plunket Society in 1907 was one of his most tangible and influential parts of his legacy. King died in February 1938. He was given a state funeral, the first private citizen in New Zealand to be given this honour. In 1957 he featured on a postage stamp celebrating the Plunket Society; again the first to be afforded this honour. All in all, Sir Frederic Truby King was a remarkable man.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Special Collections, University of Otago
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
14 August 2015
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Various
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
‘Our Babies’
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Hygeia, <em>Otago Witness</em>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
September 27, 1921
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Truby King Collection
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Newspapers
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Dunedin: <em>Otago Witness</em>
Abstract
A summary of the resource.
Bella King was as much a reason for the Plunket Society’s success as her husband. As Truby’s constant companion and helpmeet, she did a lot of work to support her husband’s crusade to ‘help the mothers and save the <em>babies’. In 1908 they started a newspaper column in the Otago Daily Times</em> called ‘Our Babies’ in which, under the pen-name ‘Hygeia’, they wrote advice for mothers on topics such as babies’ bowel movements, dummies, prams, weaning and breast-feeding. Bella usually wrote the column; Truby maintained editorial control. The column was syndicated, appearing in over 50 newspapers nationwide and exported to Australia, Britain and America. Although Bella died in January 1927, the column continued to appear, possibly written by King himself.
Bella King
Otago Daily Times
Plunket Society
Truby King