Natalie Looyer
Researcher | Adventurer | Oral Historian
About Me
Dr Natalie Looyer (she/her)
I am a researcher and oral historian based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. My oral history journey began in 2018 when I conducted my first oral history interview for a small, self-directed project about the Classics scholar, Miss Marion Steven. Since then, I have conducted almost 70 interviews for large organisations, historical societies, and academic research projects.
I completed my PhD thesis, ‘Rock Climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand: From Novel Activity to Popular Sport’ in History at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington in 2025. I am now writing my first book, based on my PhD thesis, with the generous support of a 2026 Judith Binney Writing Award.
Projects
I have carried out oral history interviews for the following projects:
-
- PhD thesis, ‘Rock Climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand: From Novel Activity to Popular Sport’ (2022-2025) Read more >>
- Oranjehof Dutch Connection Centre Oral History Project, with Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (2022)
- Environmental Leadership and Heritage in Christchurch and Canterbury Oral History Project, in association with the Canterbury Regional Council (2020-2021)
- Engineering New Zealand Oral History Project (2020)
- Hororata Historical Society Oral History Project (2019-2021)
- Lincoln and Districts Historical Society Oral History Project (2019-2021)
- Collector, Teacher, Friend: An Oral History Project on the Life of Miss Marion Steven, with the University of Canterbury (2018-2019) Read more >>
Writing
- PhD thesis (History, Victoria University of Wellington, 2025): ‘Rock Climbing in Aotearoa New Zealand: From Novel Activity to Popular Sport’. Read more >>
- Looyer, Natalie. ‘“Women with altitude”: Some stories from the archives’, New Zealand Alpine Journal 80 (Spring 2024): 94-97.
- Looyer, Natalie. ‘“She would always be there”: The (im)material life and home of Miss Marion Steven’, in Anna Green and Megan Hutching (eds), Remembering and Becoming: Oral History, Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2024.
- Looyer, Natalie. ‘Sport climbers and helmets: A culture of complacency?’ New Zealand Alpine Journal 79 (Autumn 2024): 74-75.
- Looyer, Natalie. ‘A bibliography of oral history scholarship in Aotearoa New Zealand’, National Oral History Association of New Zealand, Wellington, June 2024. Read more >>
- Looyer, Natalie. ‘Academic legacy: A life history through collective memory’, Oral History in New Zealand 31 (2019): 1-11. Read more >>
- Masters Thesis (Classics, University of Canterbury, 2018): ‘The Ambivalent Heroism of Ajax in the Odes of Pindar’. Read more >>
- Natalie Looyer, Terri Elder and Penelope Minchin-Garvin. “Catalogue of the Exhibition”, We Could Be Heroes: The gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 2017, 91-195. Read more >>
Testimonials
Terri Elder, Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities:
Natalie did an excellent job running the oral history project looking into the life of Miss Marion Steven at the Teece Museum. Her skill in conducting oral history interviews meant we have captured a fantastic record of Marion’s life but in addition to that, Natalie’s great people skills meant that everyone involved in the project from interviewees to family to management were really engaged and supportive. We’ve ended up with a resource that both looks and sounds professional, and along the way benefitted from the good relationships Natalie was able to broker.
Helene Youngman, Hororata Historical Society:
Natalie was tasked with contacting two of our elderly members on separate occasions and conducting and recording interviews with them in their own homes, providing a transcript of these interviews as well as a digital copy. She completed these interviews with warmth, humour and understanding, always taking care to let the interviewee tell their stories in their own time. I was fortunate enough to have been with her during one interview and was extremely impressed with her professionalism and her ability to keep to the required task and yet put the interview subject at ease and draw out the information the Historic Society was looking for with kindness and consideration.
Jane Cox, interviewee for the Marion Steven Oral History Project:
Natalie Looyer was tasked with doing an Oral History project on a potentially difficult subject, a much-loved family member of mine, but a complex, fiercely private person. It was Natalie’s intuitive goodwill which encouraged me to share freely memories and hitherto buried thoughts in the knowledge that they would be treated with respect. At the same time I was aware of an alert intelligence quietly, confidently assisting in guiding the conversation without dominating and judging. I think she has a rare gift for listening with perception, good nature and empathy.
Contact Me
I am always interested in hearing about new oral history projects and research ideas.
If you think I may be able to help you, please get in touch with me.