Distinguished historian, award-winning author, and Old Boy Dr Jock Phillips ONZM (7087) has opened the pages to New Zealand’s storied past.

“I firmly believe that unless we know our own history, we cannot know ourselves,” he explains. “We will make better decisions about our society and have a greater appreciation of our strengths if we understand what shapes us. This is especially important for a relatively ‘young’ society such as Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Jock has been lauded for his ground-breaking insight into the country’s history, receiving the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Pou Aronui Award for service to the humanities, and the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, culminating in being made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

The Royal Society Award cites his “outstanding contribution to the role of scholarship and to the development of our understanding of ourselves as human beings in Aotearoa/New Zealand”.

Jock has received the Prime Minister’s Award in non-fiction, recognising his exceptional works on an array of subjects, including rugby, war, the male stereotype, immigrants, and stained-glass windows. In 2015, Victoria University of Wellington acknowledged his lifetime achievements with the awarding of an honorary doctorate.

“Throughout my career, exciting younger minds with the fascination of New Zealand history has always been a major highlight,” he reflects. “Then there has also been the thrill of uncovering things about the past which are new to you and, you hope, to others. For example, I treasure what I found out through diaries and letters home about the tragic experience of the First World War for New Zealanders and wrote several books exploring this. I also enjoyed researching the experiences of those who migrated to New Zealand and exploring the particular cultures they contributed to our society.”

A member of Condell’s House from 1960–1964, Jock has redefined the country’s approach to its history. During his 14-year tenure as the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Chief Historian, he led the development of the New Zealand Historical Atlas, launched an oral history programme, and introduced a Fellowship in Māori History.

He was also instrumental in establishing Te Ara – Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, holding the role of General Editor from 2002–2011 and played a significant role in the transformation of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

“Without a doubt, my most satisfying role was to conceive and then bring to fruition Te Ara, the world’s first encyclopaedia of any nation created on the world wide web,” he says. “I believe we succeeded in providing New Zealanders with an accurate, scholarly introduction to their country in language that was clear and accessible and illustrated with fascinating images, maps, and diagrams.

“More than 10 years after the final instalment was launched by an old Christ’s College mate, Sam Neill, Te Ara still delights its users.”

Having gained his Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University of Wellington, Jock earned a Master of Arts and PhD at Harvard University in the United States. He later returned to Victoria University as a lecturer in American and New Zealand history, establishing the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies.

He points out that “the person who inspired me to think about a future in the intellectual world of learning was actually the College Headmaster in my first years, Harry Hornsby”.

“He used to scrawl students’ names on the noticeboard and request that they come to his study at the end of the day,” Jock says. “To my astonishment and trepidation, I discovered my name on the day’s list on several occasions. He would suggest books that would be worth exploring (which always included Rudyard Kipling); and there would be a few anecdotes about the Gurkhas.

“I always came out believing that reading and scholarship were really important aspects of life. He was determined that – under his watch – good scholars would be rewarded and recognised at Christ’s College, as well as good sportsmen.”

Jock recalls “several excellent College teachers”, including Scruff Hart, “an inspiring English teacher who helped me to think about writing poetry and the thrill of being a creative writer of literature”.

However, “the teacher I enjoyed the most was Joe Hunt – partly because he was an outstanding cricketer and anyone good at cricket had a quick route to my admiration”.

“In addition, he took History seriously and helped make the subject come alive in class.”

Jock describes College as “an all-consuming experience”.

“With sport or cadets every weekday, plus school on Saturday and Chapel on Sunday, there seemed very little time when you were not decked out in the suit and stiff white collar,” he says. “So school occupied 95% of your attention and your mates became intense and life-long friends, not unlike the ‘mateship’ that came out of war experiences.”

Jock has published 15 books on New Zealand history, including 1987’s A Man’s Country? The Image of the Pākehā Male – A History, delving into the ‘strong, silent Kiwi bloke stereotype’. His other works include To the Memory, an illustrated history of New Zealand war memorials, and a memoir, Making History: A New Zealand Story.