The newly refreshed digital archive celebrates a decade of preserving Ōtepoti Dunedin’s rich heritage.

Dunedin Public Libraries is delighted to announce the launch of the newly refreshed He Purapura Marara | Scattered Seeds Digital Archive, making it easier to explore the stories, photographs, memories, and historical treasures that capture the rich heritage of Ōtepoti Dunedin.

This year is particularly significant as it marks ten years since the archive launched in 2016, a milestone that reflects an on-going commitment to grow this important community resource.

As we reflect on the archive's success, it is important to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of the Dunedin Lebanese Community, the Cedars of Lebanon, whose vision and support made the archive possible. In 2015, their donation funded the creation of the Dunedin Lebanese Community Digitisation Centre at the City Library and the development of He Purapura Marara | Scattered Seeds. They also gifted a remarkable collection of photographs and documents documenting Lebanese settlement in Dunedin from the late nineteenth century to the present day. This collection formed the foundation of the archive and remains an enduring legacy for researchers, scholars, and future generations.

Over the past decade, the archive has grown into a truly community-driven resource. Thousands of photographs, oral histories, documents, and memories have been contributed by individuals, whānau, community groups, heritage organisations, and volunteers. Together, they have created a diverse and evolving record of life in Ōtepoti Dunedin. The refreshed site celebrates that collective achievement while looking to the future.

Our refreshed He Purapura Marara | Scattered Seeds has a great new look and feel with a cleaner layout, clearer search functionality, improved filtering and includes key information on how members of the public can contribute to this special archive. We have given some background on the site’s history and the vital role the Cedars of Lebanon have played in its development, and like the archive itself this detail will be built on over time.

We invite everyone to explore the archive, discover new connections with the past, and contribute their own stories to help ensure our shared history continues to grow for generations to come.