New Zealand notables

Question

I still have trouble finding categories. I would like to list my mother Thomson-8643 among the notable New Zealanders. She had two achievements that made her famous, and she was included in the list of notables who had died in 2005. Can someone guide me on what the criteria are and where I find them?

Answer 1

You don't have to be an expert at finding categories! Start off with the Notable Sticker which is {{Notable Sticker}}

For our project you then add New Zealand, Notables

So it should look like: {{Notables Sticker|New Zealand, Notables}} I'm not sure if we have a specific area for people of her notability at this point, but that is a start towards her recognition

Comments

Thanks, Richard. But I need to understand who is classed as Notable. Is my cousin who got the CBE a Notable? Hayton -133. When I try and search for these items, nothing useful appears.

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Try looking at this page:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Notables#Qualifications_for_Profiles

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Thanks Ros, but I had looked here and this does not seem to bear any relevance to New Zealand.

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WikiTree uses Wikipedia's standards for notability - this is worldwide.  Roughly, this means that a person should be "worthy of notice" or "note"—that is, "remarkable" or "significant, interesting, or unusual enough to deserve attention or to be recorded"

If they have a Wikipedia page, they are definitely 'in'.

Answer 2

Margaret,

 the requirements to be called a Notable are as follows -

1 - must have a wikipedia page  (edited to add) OR

2 - must be in the national who's who or the national biography for their country.

For NZ that is the NZ Encyclopedia.

You remember the old 2 volume NZ encyclopedia with the light blue covers?  Published around 1966, I believe.

This is the online version

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966

If Jean is not on either of those 2 places than she does not really qualify as a Notable, sorry.

She has to have a NATIONALLY recognizable name and she seems to be just a local celebrity. I have never heard of her before. Sorry.

I am sorry to ask this, but you will need to remove the Notable sticker!!

PS. Jean went to Solway college? In Masterton?

My sister also went to Solway college - in the 1970s...

There is a photo of her wearing the Solway school uniform on her profile!!

Comments

Surely, the person doesn't HAVE to have a Wikipedia page?  It's just that, if they've got one, they are definitely a Notable.  It says on the Notables Project page:

Note, though, that many notable people do not yet have a page on Wikipedia. Feel free to ask Project Leaders about whether someone meets the guidelines, or read through them yourself and use your best judgment. Many, many important people are not on WikiTree yet!

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Ros - OK maybe I missed out on one word -

1 - must have a wikipedia page

 OR

2 - must be in the national who's who or the national biography for their country.

 One OR  the other!!

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Or be notable, have publications, whatever.

We need to ditch the MUST HAVE a Wikipedia page slant.

https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22344844

Answer 3

In answer to your question about Thomas Dickson Hayton, He also does not qualify as a Notable on Wikitree either. Sorry.

 He does not have a wikipedia page and he is not in the NZ Encyclopedia.

Comments

But Stuart was in the Who's Who in New Zealand. That's where I got much of the information. I've not put the source up yet as I used 2001 and the one I found online was 1991.

That Encyclopaedia is 1966. It is biased towards white rich men. Our history fails to recognise many women who should be.

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And I should add I have a physical copy of the Encyclopaedia, the three books. Quite a lot of gaps in it, and information now outdated or incorrect. Under swimming where my mother should be there are gaps, and nothing on lifesaving, only surf lifesaving which is different (my father did that). I would not use that as the criterion.

Answer 4

There is now also a NEW Dictionary of Biography that is slowly adding Biographies of Notable Kiwis who were well known after the 1960s.

This is a NZ National Dictionary of Biography and thus anyone whose biography is published in this dictionary, is considered to be a Notable on Wikitree - even if they do not have a wikipedia page!! .

https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies

Answer 5

I have read the Wikipedia criteria for notability, and I would say Stuart Hayton would be considered “notable” given his CBE and entry in the 2001 Who’s Who which you ca still cite. Jean Dickson is more problematic and while she may have appeared on a list of notables, her “notability” is more localised and more secondary sources etc. would need to be cited. Margaret, I absolutely agree with you about the place of women in terms of “notability”. All All Blacks, regardless of how good they were, appear in Wikipedia, therefore by definition they are “notable”! (Don’t start me on politicians.) I don’t think a label or tag matters. Both your profiles are great and the successes of the individuals speak for themselves.

Comments

Thanks, Fiona. You have got the issue exactly. Certain people seem to be automatically considered notable, no matter what.

I have checked the swimming list in the 1966 Encyclopaedia. They did not include the intermediate champions, hence my mother doesn't appear in that. But it was more for her lifesaving diplomas that I put the sticker on. To be the first for an event is surely notable.The curator at Te Papa was delighted to get her gear as she said they have very little for women sports stars of past eras. They were totally ignored by historians. I'm trying to right the huge imbalance that exists.

If you have the link for the 2001 Who's Who (who is listed), can you post it here? I have this as the source from Wikipedia, but it's not in the Invercargill Library for me to check.

Alister Taylor (2001). New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001 Edition. Alister Taylor Publishers

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And, I should be in that edition too. I signed the form approving my entry. But I'm not putting a sticker on my profile.

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A notable in our midst! There may not be an online copy. If you know it is correct, just cite it as a source. Re: Jean. If Te Papa recognises her achievement as “notable”, that would be good enough for me. These things are so often subjective. It’s not as if Jean could have gone of to the Olympics in her sport, could she?