John Herries Beattie

James Herries Beattie (1881–1972) was a New Zealand historian, ethnologist, and author renowned for documenting the traditional knowledge, histories, and lore of South Island Māori and early Pākehā settlers through interviews and extensive writings, producing 27 books including the notable 'Maori Lore of Lake, Alp and Fiord'. Born in Gore to Scottish immigrants, he worked as a librarian, bookseller, journalist, and bookkeeper before dedicating himself fully to research and publication after 1939, earning the Percy Smith Prize in anthropology in 1967 and an MBE.[1][2]