The Judith Binney Trust is proud to announce the recipients of the 2021 Judith Binney Fellowships and Writing Awards.

This is the third year of awards which were established by the Judith Binney Trust to support research and writing on New Zealand history.

In 2021 there will be four Judith Binney Writing Awards with each recipient receiving $25,000 to support their research and writing proposal. The recipients are:

Kirsty Dunn (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa) is an author and researcher based in Ōtautahi / Christchurch. 

Her current focus is an exploration of the ways in which various animal species in Aotearoa are represented in Māori writing in English. The Judith Binney Trust Writing award will enable Kirsty to convert her PhD thesis on the topic into a book.

Sarah Johnston (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rākaipaaka) is an Ōtautahi / Christchurch based researcher, writer and broadcaster. The Judith Binney Writing Award will enable her to further research and write about the output of the National Broadcasting Service Mobile Recording Units which accompanied New Zealand forces in action during World War Two from 1940 - 1945.

Sixteen hundred fragile lacquer discs make up this collection and were recorded throughout the fighting in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and the Pacific.

"These taonga are priceless, firstly because they contain the voices, kōrero and waiata of New Zealanders at war" Sarah says, "But beyond that, these recordings had an impact on how radio listeners at home understood the war and they represent important developments in our social and media histories."

Professor David Tipene-Leach MNZM (Ngāti Kahungunu/ Ngāti Kere, Ngāti Manuhiri) and Waitangi Teepa (Tūhoe, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Hine).

David Tipene-Leach is Professor of Māori and Indigenous Research at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) in Napier, Hawke’s Bay.

Waitangi Teepa, is an archivist/Te Reo Māori researcher, at the Twist Library, EIT.

The Judith Binney Writing Award will be used to support the research of the Hawkes Bay Repudiation Movement, using more than 1000 letters and petitions written between 1860 and 1890 to Henare Matua of Pōrangahau, the primary leader of the Movement.

Dr Tipene-Leach says: ‘Henare Matua is not well known in New Zealand history and his contribution is likely under-estimated. The initial archiving work has revealed that Matua was the go-to man for complaints about fraudulent land loss, particularly along the eastern regions of Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast proper and was responsible for crafting the engagement agenda of the Movement.’

Madi Williams (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata) is an Ōtautahi / Christchurch based historian and researcher. Her work aims to expand the understanding of Aotearoa /New Zealand histories through illuminating iwi, hapū, and whānau perspectives. The Judith Binney Writing Award will enable Madi to convert her PhD thesis on Ngāti Kuia histories into a book focussed on the pūrākau of Ngāti Kuia.

Chair of the Judith Binney Trust, Adam Ross QC, says trustees are delighted that we were able to offer awards this year and that a growing number of scholars at diverse career stages are working on projects that reflect the kaupapa and objectives of the Judith Binney Trust.