People of Devonport - How to Apply

Applications to have a biography listed on the People of Devonport database should be made to the Devonport Community Board. For more information or a sample biography, please contact the Devonport Area Office, through the North Shore City Council Actionline, phone 486 8600. Completed applications should be sent to the Devonport Area Office, 3 Victoria Rd, Devonport.

The project will be administered by a sub-committee comprising community services and parks officers, a representative of the Devonport Community Board and three additional community representatives.

The biographical information may be submitted to the subcommittee by the next of kin or by a family member or friend acting on their behalf. If there is doubt about the strength of the person's association with Devonport, a final decision on inclusion will be made by the Devonport Community Board.

Biographies

Those eligible for inclusion in the database will have had a strong association with Devonport. They may have lived in Devonport for many years, had a strong political or commercial association with Devonport, or have acted on behalf of Devonport and its interests in other significant ways, for example, artists and writers who have produced work on Devonport.

• The biographies will be publicly available in much the same way as an obituary in a newspaper. The advantage of a website is its convenience, accessibility, and limitless volume.
• Biographies will be the responsibility of the next of kin, a family member or friend acting on behalf of the family or next of kin. They will be asked to provide details of the person’s life to be recorded on the biographical database.
• Biographies should ideally be between 100 and 300 words, with an upper limit of 500 words.
• The information provided will be edited, stored on disc, and posted on-line.
• Hard copies of the finished biography will be given to the contact person, and also held on file.

Costs

Biographies will be posted on the website free of charge. If a photograph is desired however, there will be a cost of $30.

Instructions to writers

Biographies should contain basic, accurate information, including:

Reason for inclusion: A brief summary of the person’s association with Devonport.

Background information: Family name and personal names; date of birth and baptism; full name of parents, including mother’s maiden name; occupation of parents; marriage details, including full name of spouse and occupation; full names of children, gender and birth dates; any items of distinction regarding spouse or children; details of death, including time, place and cause and details of burial if relevant.

Other key information: Education and scholastic achievement; religious affiliation; offices held; awards or distinctions; dates of important events; publications or art works; interests and hobbies; personal characteristics.

A person preparing a biography is invited to read some of the existing biographies on the database to get an idea of what is needed.

Editing

Once the basic information has been gathered, the editor of the database or one of the team will oversee the production of the final version of the biography.

For ease of reference, biographies will follow a recognisable style and pattern.

The final version will be sent to the family representative to be signed off before being added to the on-line database.

Disclaimer. The biographies and information for this website has been provided by close friends and relatives in good faith. All reasonable steps have been taken to authenticate the information, but North Shore City Council bears no responsibility for its accuracy.