Difference between revisions of "Wilkes Owen"

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== Owen Wilkes 1940-2005 ==
 
== Owen Wilkes 1940-2005 ==
  
 
<html><a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3394/features/4074/owen_wilkes_.html"><img src="http://www.listener.co.nz/assets/resized/img/2005/i3394/Pic-OwenWilkes-0-369-0-300.jpg"> Picture from Listener obituary</a></html>
 
<html><a href="http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3394/features/4074/owen_wilkes_.html"><img src="http://www.listener.co.nz/assets/resized/img/2005/i3394/Pic-OwenWilkes-0-369-0-300.jpg"> Picture from Listener obituary</a></html>
  
Owen was born and raised in Christchurch and studied Geology at Canterbury University but did not complete the degree. He had a strong outdoor bent and it was through this that he took up an interest in archaoelogy. An early associate was [[Fomison Tony|Tony Fomison]]. In 1963 he joined [[Canterbury Museum]] as a field archaeologist. Excavations at Wairau Bar and Heaphy River resulted. At thois time and later he was filekeeper for the site recordign scheme for Canterbury, Nelson / Marlborough and Westland.
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Owen was born and raised in Christchurch and studied Geology at Canterbury University but did not complete a degree. Never the less he had gained a strong commitment to objective science that he displayed throughout his life. He had a strong outdoor bent and it was through this that he took up an interest in archaoelogy. An early associate was [[Fomison Tony|Tony Fomison]]. In 1963 he joined [[Canterbury Museum]] as a field archaeologist. Excavations at Wairau Bar and Heaphy River resulted. At this time and later he was filekeeper for the site recording scheme for Canterbury, Nelson / Marlborough and Westland.
  
He fell out with museum director Roger Duff in the course of archaeological work in the Cook Islands in 1964 and left the museum.
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He fell out with museum director [[Duff Roger|Roger Duff]] in the course of archaeological work in the Cook Islands in 1964 and left the museum.
  
Periods as a field researcher in entomology followed, as well as other field roles mostly outside archaeology but then a major shift to peace and environmental activisim. He was a formidable researcher often finding material that Governments thought they had kept secret.
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Periods as a field researcher in entomology followed, as well as other field roles mostly outside archaeology but then a major shift to peace and environmental activisim in New Zealand and for a period in Scandanavia. He was a formidable researcher often finding material that Governments thought they had kept secret.
  
From 1995 onwards he returned  
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From 1995 onwards he returned to archaeology working for a period for the Department of Conservation in Hamilton and filled the role of Waikato filekeeper. His passion for fieldwork was unabated and many new and updated records resulted in this period.
  
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Owen was a passionate individualist, but never egotistical. He was geenerous with his time in helping others where he thought it worthwhile.
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He was at times afflicted with depression and this triggered with the onset of some physical disabilities is beleived to be what made him take his own life.
  
 
'''[[Obituaries|Obituaries]]:'''
 
'''[[Obituaries|Obituaries]]:'''
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1964 Further work at South Bay. '''New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter''' 1(3):129-132,128.
 
1964 Further work at South Bay. '''New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter''' 1(3):129-132,128.
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- and R J Scarlett
 
- and R J Scarlett

Revision as of 23:46, 23 June 2008

Owen Wilkes 1940-2005

Picture from Listener obituary

Owen was born and raised in Christchurch and studied Geology at Canterbury University but did not complete a degree. Never the less he had gained a strong commitment to objective science that he displayed throughout his life. He had a strong outdoor bent and it was through this that he took up an interest in archaoelogy. An early associate was Tony Fomison. In 1963 he joined Canterbury Museum as a field archaeologist. Excavations at Wairau Bar and Heaphy River resulted. At this time and later he was filekeeper for the site recording scheme for Canterbury, Nelson / Marlborough and Westland.

He fell out with museum director Roger Duff in the course of archaeological work in the Cook Islands in 1964 and left the museum.

Periods as a field researcher in entomology followed, as well as other field roles mostly outside archaeology but then a major shift to peace and environmental activisim in New Zealand and for a period in Scandanavia. He was a formidable researcher often finding material that Governments thought they had kept secret.

From 1995 onwards he returned to archaeology working for a period for the Department of Conservation in Hamilton and filled the role of Waikato filekeeper. His passion for fieldwork was unabated and many new and updated records resulted in this period.

Owen was a passionate individualist, but never egotistical. He was geenerous with his time in helping others where he thought it worthwhile.

He was at times afflicted with depression and this triggered with the onset of some physical disabilities is beleived to be what made him take his own life.

Obituaries:

Ritchie, N. 2005 "Better To Go Now": Owen Wilkes 1940-2005. Archaeology in New Zealand 48(3):221-241.

Gordon Campbell 2005 Listener May 28-June 3 2005 Vol 198 No 3394. Online


Tributes:

http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/owentr.htm


Bibliography

1959 Wairau Bar. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 3(l):3-4.

1960 Site survey ot west Nelson. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 4(1):22-31.

1962 Notes from Canterbury. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 5(2):110-111.

1964 Further work at South Bay. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 1(3):129-132,128.



- and R J Scarlett

1964 Further Heaphy River excavations. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 1(3):1128.

1967 Excavation of a moa-hunter site at the mouth of the Heaphy River. Records of the Canterbury Museum VIII (3): 177–208.

- and R J Scarlett and George Boraman 1963 New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter Two moa-hunter sites in north-west Nelson. 6(2):88-93.

- and G M Mason

1963 Dashing Rocks, Timaru: a preliminary note on excavations – site Slll/1.6 New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter (2):95-98.

1963 Tumbledown Bay - a Banks Peninsula moa-hunter site S94/30. New Zealand Archaeological Association Newsletter 6(2):98-100.