Rate My Professor Kari Wilson-Allan

Kari Wilson-Allan is a Collections Assistant in the Archives section of the Hocken Collections at the University of Otago Library. In this capacity, she manages archival materials, supports researchers, and engages the public through detailed explorations of New Zealand's historical records. Her work centers on processing, describing, and promoting unique collections that document social, cultural, and everyday life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Wilson-Allan has made notable contributions to The Hocken Blog, authoring posts that illuminate lesser-known aspects of history drawn directly from the collections. Key publications include "'Hets miss out on gay blood': early gay community perspectives on AIDS" (March 2022), which examines archival materials on community responses to the epidemic; "Frenchman's letters share tales from Otago goldfields" (April 2025), featuring personal correspondence from the 1860s gold rush era; "Missing; stolen; drunk: perusing the Police Gazettes" (September 2014), analyzing 19th-century crime reports; "Reading between the lines in Blighty" (August 2018), reviewing a World War I YMCA booklet for soldiers; "Stirring up the stacks #1: Variety salad in tomato aspic," recreating historical recipes; "Vaccines: public health good, or conspiratorial 'delusion and snare'" (September 2020), contextualizing anti-vaccination sentiments; "The real housewives of Dunedin: the Dunedin Housewives Union/Dunedin Housewives Association records, 1930-1977" (March 2017), highlighting women's organizational history; "Thai students' wartime communications in New Zealand," detailing personal letters during World War II; "Going past Papers Past: a mass of mastheads," discussing physical newspaper collections; and "For Dunedin's Good Rule and Government," reviewing early city by-laws. These pieces demonstrate her focus on public health, LGBTQ+ history, women's roles, migration, crime, food culture, and local governance. She has also supported exhibitions like queer zines displays (March 2025) and donated items such as Radio One posters to the collections. Wilson-Allan has participated in community advocacy, signing open letters on academic matters and rainbow community naming in mental health submissions (2019-2020). Her efforts enhance access to Hocken’s archives for academic and public audiences, preserving narratives of New Zealand's diverse past.