The cover of Professor Tony Ballantyne's winning book.
History Professor Tony Ballantyne's book Entanglements of Empire: Missionaries, Māori and the Question of Body, has won the premier annual prize for a book on New Zealand history. The win was announced in Christchurch at the New Zealand Historical Association's AGM last night.
Professor Ballantyne says he is delighted to have won the inaugural W.H. Oliver Award for the best book published on New Zealand History, but he is especially happy for the spotlight this award shines on Otago's Department of History and Art History, and also the Hocken Library (archive) Collections.
“I did not expect it, given the particularly strong field, including two of my colleagues in history at Otago. This prize is an affirmation of the great strength of historical research and teaching on our campus and our deep commitment here at Otago to understanding the forces that have shaped New Zealand society,”
“On a personal level, it is wonderful for me to receive this award from my professional organisation, the New Zealand Historical Association, and it is also an honour for my book Entanglements of Empire to be linked to the name Bill Oliver, an outstanding historian who wrote with great insight and elegance on our past.
"I did not expect it, given the particularly strong field, including two of my colleagues in history at Otago."
“This award for Entanglements also reflects the tremendous riches of the Hocken Library Collections, as most of the research for this book was conducted using the Hocken's vast and significant manuscript collection.”
He also thanked the book's publishers, Auckland University Press, for helping bring the book to fruition.