skip to main content

I want to...

Current filter:

Rubbish & Recycling Rubbish & Recycling

Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank - Digital Archiving

A special piece of equipment on its way from the United States which will unlock the secrets of an estimated 22,000 rolls of film taken in Hawke’s Bay over the last 70-plus years.

Russell Spiller is a name many long-time Hawke’s Bay residents will know – a noted local photographer who ran Batchelor’s Candid Studios in Napier from 1946 to 1981.

In his time he took thousands of rolls of film, at weddings, christenings, family gatherings and public events.

The project to review more than 22,000 rolls of film has been taken on by the team at Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank, based at the Hastings District Council-owned Stoneycroft Reserve in Omahu Rd, Hastings.

Volunteers will digitally archive content from the films loaned to them by the Spiller family and make the images available through its web-site. Even with the special equipment, the project is expected to take near two years to complete.

The slide and negative scanner is being purchased with a $9575 grant from this year’s Hastings District Council Contestable Grants Fund. The fund is distributed annually to groups developing or delivering a community service or project which fits with Council’s aim of “building a safe, liveable, sustainable community”. Council is profiling successful applicants from this year’s grants round.

The Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust was set up in 2011 to ensure the “wealth of fading photographs, letters, recordings and much more stashed away in old shoeboxes and family collections” was not lost forever, said trust chairman Peter Dunkerley. The trust opened the doors of The Knowledge Bank in December 2012.

 “Most of the material we look after doesn't belong in a museum but it is most certainly worth keeping. Modern technologies allow us to capture and preserve this valuable community resource for future generations, on a much larger scale and at a lower cost than preserving the physical objects, Mr Dunkerley said.

He is expecting some real delights to come out of the Spiller collection. “A lot has changed over the 70 years this collection covers and there will be some very interesting recent history moments captured. This is exactly why the Knowledge Bank was started, so we don’t lose treasures like these collections.”

Mr Dunkerley said the Knowledge Bank team was very grateful to the Spiller family, particularly Mr Spiller's wife Corrine, for the loan of the films.

For more information on Hawke’s Bay Knowledge Bank see: knowledgebank.org.nz

 For more information on Stoneycroft Reserve see: www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/stoneycroft-reserve

For more information on Hastings District Council Annual Contestable Grants see: www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/contestable-grants-fund

24 October 2017

Back to Contestable Grants Recipients

Loading...

Hastings District Council - Copyright © 2024 Hastings District Council

Disclaimers and Copyright
While every endeavour has been taken by the Hastings District Council to ensure that the information on this website is accurate and up to date, Hastings District Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith. Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant government agencies. Hastings District Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content. Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced information or material is copyright to the respective provider.

© Hastings District Council - / +64 6 871 5000 / customerservice@hdc.govt.nz