Johannes Carl Andersen (14 March 1873 – 19 June 1962) was a New Zealand clerk, poet, ethnologist, librarian, editor and historian. Andersen was born in Klakring (now

Hedensted Hedensted is a Danish town in Region Midtjylland and the seat of Hedensted Municipality. Its population, including its northern neighbouring town Løsning, is 12,220.

), Denmark, on 14 March 1873. His family emigrated to New Zealand in October 1874 and settled in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

. In 1887 he began working at the

Department of Lands and Survey The Department of Lands and Survey was a former government department in New Zealand that managed the administration of Crown land and its survey and mapping requirements. History Establishment The department was established in 1876 with the appo ...

as a cadet draughtsman and then as a clerk. In May 1900 Andersen married teacher Kate McHaffie, who later became active in various community organisations in Wellington, including the New Zealand Women Writers' and Artists' Society. Andersen supported her endeavours, including by reviewing and endorsing the literary efforts of Society members. Andersen took a special interest in traditional

Māori culture Māori culture () is the customs, cultural practices, and beliefs of the indigenous Māori people of New Zealand. It originated from, and is still part of, Polynesians, Eastern Polynesian culture. Māori culture forms a distinctive part of Cul ...

and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

. This saw him attempt to record and retell aspects of their culture. To the public, he was best known as the inaugural librarian of the

Alexander Turnbull Library The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

from 1919 to 1937. In the 1935 King's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

References

1873 births 1962 deaths New Zealand librarians 20th-century New Zealand historians Danish emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand ethnologists 20th-century New Zealand male writers People from Hedensted Municipality New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire {{NewZealand-writer-stub