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Rubber stamp - Beeville Trust Board seal. (This is in Box 49), n.d.

 File — Box: 49
Identifier: MSS. Archives. 94/4. Series 8. File 252/4

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

These papers relate to Maurice J. Wilsie, the husband of Diana Wilsie who died in 1977. Maurice Wilsie was born in Muskegon, Michigan on 26 November 1907. Leaving home at 14 Wilsie worked his way through high school and university, graduating with an M.A from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. A Unitarian minister with a degree in psychology, Wilsie worked as a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union and as a psychologist at the San Quentin Jail in California before moving to New Zealand in 1954.

From 1962 until his death in 1977 Wilsie was a member of the Beeville Community; a commune dating from the 1940s which produced honey and kept orchards near Taupiri in the Waikato region. The Community was started by the Hansen family, but operated as a charitable trust with a board of management during the years represented here, Maurice Wilsie was Secretary of the Trust.

The papers include a mix of material related to the day to day running of Beeville and notes and correspondence which reflect Maurice Wilsie’s personal experiences of living at Beeville. Among these papers there are also a number of items that relate to Wilderland - a community founded by Dan Hansen after leaving Beeville in 1964.

Dates

  • n.d.

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Not restricted

Extent

From the Collection: 5.5 metres (49 boxes + outsized)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections, University of Auckland Repository

Contact:
5 Alfred Street
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142 New Zealand