The Society of Mary and the Archdiocese of Wellington Collection of nearly 700 rare books (514 titles) was deposited on permanent loan into the Alexander Turnbull Library in December 2001. It includes the collections of Jeremiah Purcell O'Reily (1805-1880) and James Ambrose Story (1844-1901).

The collection contains imprints from the 15th to the 18th century (including eight incunabula), in addition to pamphlets and a small number of post-1800 imprints. A high proportion of these imprints are foreign-language publications.

Items in the collection were originally gathered from libraries at St Patrick's College Wellington, the Marist Archives Wellington, and convents in Hastings and Wanganui. The collection was held at the seminary library at Greenmeadows, Napier, before moving to the Colin Library in Auckland in 1998.

Archival material connected to this collection is held at the Marist Archives in Wellington.

Further information about the collection can be found in 'Jeremiah Purcell O'Reily and James Ambrose Story: Two Nineteenth-Century Collectors and their New Zealand Connection' by Ruth Lightbourne, Turnbull Library Record 40 (2007), pp 33-60.

More about the Turnbull Library's Special Printed Collections

Planned changes to collection access

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Our collections will be relocated while the Library building in Wellington is being redeveloped. This collection will continue to be available at Archives New Zealand. However there will be a temporary closure while it is packed and moved.

We expect to finalise the dates of the relocation later in 2009. We will give you at least one month's notice of collection access changes and closures.

For more information email atl@natlib.govt.nz

Find out more about planned changes to collection access

Access items in this collection

Items can be viewed onsite in the manuscripts reading room on the first floor of the Library on weekdays. Please make prior arrangement with the Curator by phone or email so that the items you require will be ready for you.

This collection is fully catalogued and may be searched on the National Library Catalogue

Borrow items in this collection

Original items from this collection cannot be borrowed.

Get copies from items in this collection

You can order digital photographs and microfilm copies of items in this collection.

Photocopies are possible under certain circumstances, depending upon the physical condition of the item. Photocopies are made by Library staff.

More about making copies

More about copyright and usage

Get help

We can answer your enquiries in person, by letter, phone or email.

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