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Diaries of Arnold Henfrey Watson

Date1907-1959Reference NumberAms 294Collection SummaryA collection of diaries created by Arnold Henfrey Watson: a Pongakawa farmer who was drafted into the 15th New Zealand Company of the Imperial Camel Corps during the First World War. Having a keen interest in drawing and nature, Watson filled the empty spaces in his diaries with tiny, carefully-observed drawings of plants and insects.DescriptionCollection comprises of 32 diaries, written by Arnold Henfrey Watson (1882-1960), between the years 1907 and 1959:

Ams 294/1: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1907
Ams 294/2: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1909
Ams 294/3: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1910
Ams 294/4: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1911
Ams 294/5: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1912
Ams 294/6: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1913
Ams 294/7: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1914
Ams 294/8: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1915
Ams 294/9: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1916
Ams 294/10: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1917
Ams 294/11: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1918
Ams 294/12: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1919
Ams 294/13: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1920
Ams 294/14: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1921
Ams 294/15: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1936
Ams 294/16: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1937
Ams 294/17: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1939
Ams 294/18: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1940
Ams 294/19: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1942
Ams 294/20: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1943
Ams 294/21: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1944
Ams 294/22: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1945
Ams 294/23: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1946
Ams 294/24: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1947
Ams 294/25: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1948
Ams 294/26: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1950
Ams 294/27: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1951
Ams 294/28: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1952
Ams 294/29: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1953
Ams 294/30: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1955
Ams 294/31: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1957
Ams 294/32: Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1959
Ams 294/33: Loose items found with diaries

All his life Arnold Henfrey Watson was interested in drawing, painting and natural history.

In March 1916, as a farmer at Pongakawa, he took a trip to the recruiting office in Rotorua to join up. From the 19th Mounted Reinforcements, he was drafted into the 15th New Zealand Company of the Imperial Camel Corps, where he remained until it was disbanded in mid-1918.

Towards the end of the war, he was co-opted by Lt-Col. James McCarroll, commanding officer of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, as a semi-official war artist. Throughout the last year of conflict and the more relaxed time after the Armistice in November 1918, he had enough free time to sketch the native wildlife of Palestine and Egypt. He filled the spare spaces in his diaries with tiny, carefully-observed drawings of plants and insects, some in full colour. He also had cartoons published in the ‘Kia Ora Coo-ee’, the magazine produced in Cairo for ANZAC troops in the Middle East.

After the war Arnold returned to his farming life with great relief. He married Christine Vingoe from Ōtūmoetai and they had two children. He later retired to Mount Maunganui, living in a house on Maunganui Road and swimming every morning. He died in 1960.CreatorWatson, Arnold Henfrey, 1882-1960LevelCollectionExtent4 boxesLanguageEnglish

Archive Items

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1907

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1909

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1910

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1911

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1912

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1913

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1914

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1915

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1916

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1917

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1918

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1919

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1920

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1921

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1936

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1937

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1939

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1940

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1942

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1943

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1944

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1945

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1946

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1947

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1948

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1950

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1951

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1952

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1953

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1955

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1957

Diary of Arnold Henfrey Watson, 1959

Loose items found with diaries

Asset Location

RoomClimate controlled room - offsite

Usage

Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our heritage resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted within. Last edited by: Heritage Specialist - AW

Access ConditionsNo access restrictions apply to this collection Last edited by: Heritage Specialist - AW

AcknowledgementTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Ams 294

Relates To

PeopleWatson, Arnold Henfrey, 1882-1960 (Person)

Admin

Source of ContributionLibrary collection Last edited by: Heritage Specialist - AW

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Diaries of Arnold Henfrey Watson