Frank O.V. Acheson papers.

Collection

Identifier: MSS-Archives-96/1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This extensive collection was deposited in the University of Auckland Library in October 1990 by the Trustees of Judge Acheson's estate. Some artefacts of family interest were returned to members of the Acheson family, and the remainder of the material was arranged into the following series: Personal papers 1906-1948; Maori Affairs - Native Land Court - 1920-1943, including formal studies on Maori land tenure, theses, etc.; Judge Acheson's relations with the Native Affairs Dept, 1933-1943; Public interests separate from work in the Native Land Court, 1933-1947; Literary projects (includes papers of Sir George Spafford Richardson 1891-1938); travel 1924-1937; books and journals preserved among papers.

During the 1940s Acheson was asked by the son of George Spafford Richardson to write a biography of his father. Although the biography was never written the papers provided by Richardson's family remained in Acheson’s possession and were donated to the Library with his papers in 1990. As Acheson had incorporated much of Richardson’s material with his own research notes for the biography Richardson's papers have been retained with Acheson's papers. Richardson's papers are substantial, and include an official diary, correspondence and documents relating to Western Samoan affairs including the Mau movement.

Dates

1906 - 1948

Creator

Te Puea Herangi, Princess of the Maori (Person)
Valder, H (Henry) (Person)
Utiku, Jacob (Person)
Jones, Pei Te Hurinui (Person)
Tawhiao, King of the Maori (Person)
General Assembly Library (Organization)
New Zealand. Aotea District Maori Land Board (Organization)
New Zealand. Army. Battalion, 28 (Organization)
Eppics Ltd (Organization)
Pictorial Instruction Equipments Ltd (Organization)
New Zealand. Native Affairs Commission (Organization)
New Zealand. Ikaroa District Maori Land Board (Organization)
Hura, Pateriki (Person)
McGregor, Kenneth A. (Person)
Mann, Whare (Person)
Mareo, Eric (Person)
Acheson, George (Person)
Ramsden, Eric (Person)
Richardson, George Spafford, Sir (Person)
Savage, Michael Joseph (Person)
Sergei, Peter (Person)
Prescott, Margaret (Person)
Melville, J. M. (Person)
Mootu, Ngaroimata (Person)
Nelson, O. F. (Olaf Frederick) (Person)
Beechey, E.M. (Person)
Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst Bledisloe, Baron (Person)
Acheson, Monica (Person)
Bate, W. (Person)
Fraser, Peter (Person)
George, King of Great Britain, V (Person)
Brady, B. (Person)
Craigavon, James Craig, Viscount (Person)
New Zealand. Native Land Court (Organization)
Hampson, M. H. (Person)
Grace, P. Alfred (Person)
Hill, Alfred (Person)
Acheson, Frank O. V. (Frank Oswald Victor) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Not restricted

Biographical / Historical

Frank Oswald Victor Acheson, born Riverton, Southland, in 1887, graduated LL.B. and LL.M. from Victoria University College, 1911 and 1913. In 1919 he was appointed Judge of the Native Land Court, Aotea district, and of the Tokerau district in 1924. Judge Acheson came into conflict with the Native Affairs Department largely over Tai Tokerau matters and his appointment as Judge was revoked in 1943. After that time he returned to Riverton where he took part in local body affairs until his death in 1948. He was Chairman of the Southland Regional Council and Mayor of Riverton, and sought unsuccessfully to become the National Party candidate for the Wallace Electorate in the 1946 election.

Sir George Spafford Richardson (1891-1938), KBE rose to the rank of major general in the New Zealand Army before being appointed admininstrator of New Zealand's mandated territory of Western Samoa in 1923. While well-meaning in his approach, Richardson did not appreciate Samoan resentment of colonial rule which eventually led to the nationalistic Mau movement led by Olaf Nelson. His patronising attitude towards Samoans compounded the problem. A royal commission set up in 1927 supported his actions, and Nelson and other Mau leaders were deported in early 1928, although if anything this strengthened the movement. The somewhat disillusioned Richardson retired from the post of Administrator in March 1928, and from public service in December 1928. In his retirement he worked for returned servicemen, and in May 1935 he was elected as a member of the Auckland City Council. He was deputy mayor at the time of his sudden death on 11 June 1938, survived by his wife and five children.