The library's first archivist, Ted Morris (1913-1999)

Bay of Plenty Times: Ted worked at the paper for 21 years until 27 August 1976. In 1969 he established a reference library at the BOPT, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in June 1976, when he was overseas.

Tauranga City Archivist:  He joined the staff of Tauranga Public Library as City Archivist on 1 September 1976. He collected, organised and annotated information about Tauranga's past from local organisations and long established retail firms and industries, contacting them to request historical data. He established links with local groups such as the Genealogical Society, whose members transcribed inscriptions from gravestones in the district. He retired at 65, at the end of March 1979.

Honours and boards

• Panel of Māori mythology Māori carving city administration buildings, including 6 foot new South British Insurance building on Grey Street.
• Hon. Cultural Doctorate of Literature, World University Round Table, Tucson Arizona, 2 June 1977.
• Poet Laureateship UPLI, 'International Poet in Residence of NZ', 1 January 1978.
• Monday 19 June 1978 former Mayor Bob Owens presents UPLI award at a wine and cheese evening, Arts and Crafts Centre.
• Appointed Chief Delegate to New Zealand of World University Roundtable, June 1978.
• Distinguished Service Citation World Poetry Society, July 1978.
• Appointed to Editorial Board Parnassus Publications, Manila.

Author

• 1971. The silent touches of time: poems. Bay of Plenty Times.
• 1973. Alchemy of time: poems, 1972-3. Tauranga Publicity Printing.
• 1973. Te Awanui: the story of a canoe. Tauranga Māori Cultural and Promotional Committee.
• 1974. Children of zero and other poems. International Poetry Society : Hub Publications.
• 1975. Whaka taua, (rev. ed.). Tauranga Māori Cultural and Promotional Committee. W.E. Morris.
• 1976. Good thinking: (the quality of life). (rev. ed.). W.E. Morris and J.H. Mitchell.
• 1977. Journey into yesterday: the story of the Tauranga District Museum, 1969-1976. Tauranga District Museum.
• 1977. Treadmill of time: and other poems. W.E. Morris.
• 1978. The centennial history of St Peter's Presbyterian Church, and the Presbyterian movement in the Western Bay of Plenty. (Editor). St Peter's Presbyterian Church, Centenary Committee.
• 1979. Zero's children (in the International Year of the Child), (rev. ed.). W.E. Morris.
• 1981. Crucible. Madras : Tagore Institute of Creative Writing International.
• 1987. Please turn the page: the importance of literature to the growing child. Tauranga Moana Press.
• 1988. Collected poems of William E. Morris D. Litt. (Hon) FLWA, F.I.B.A. A.A.B.I.R.A., F.F.I.P.S., international poet laureate of New Zealand. W.E. Morris.
• 1989. In the beginning: prose poem sequence on peace and war, 1914-1972.
• 1990. The growing up years. Benton-Guy.
• 1993. Years of conflict: A contradiction in terms. Pentland.
• 1995. Peace and wars again. Greenleaf Press.

Other

5 May 1976 Ted attended the World Congress of Poets in Baltimore, USA.

In 1981 "city poet off to San Francisco for convention", unnamed newspaper article, 1 July 1981. And "Tauranga poet receives honour", unnamed newspaper article, 10 September 1981 page 5.

In 1983 "City poet honoured", unnamed newspaper article, 18 January 1983 page 16.

See also: Tauranga scrapbooks, Ams 487/11.

Articles also in the Bay of Plenty Times 28 August 1976, 25 June 1977. Bay Sun 25 June 1977.