New Zealand House Has Link With The Past

Chronicle (Levin), 21 February 1948, Page 4

New Zealand House Has Link With The Past

Recently there appeared ih the Press a report that £500,000 had been set aside in the Supplementary Estimates fpr the purcljase of new premises for the New Zealand Government in Londoh— in other words, a new New Zealand House, writes C.H.M. in a South-' ern contemporary. "New Zealand House" — the name carries us back to the time when Queen Victofia had been less than three years on th» throne, well over a hundred years ago. Prior to 1840 the- New Zealand Association liad definite headquarters at Adam Street, Adelphi, where it met for the first time on May 22, 1837. Later — apparently early in 1840 — the association now called the' New Zealand Company moved from its offices at Adelphi to 9 Broad Street Buildings. From the first, these roorns were called New Zealand House — a stranger .. in an old, important street with a history tgoing back into the dim past; Only | men of vision and great determina- ; tion would have boldly given New Zealand a place in England's capiital at a time when this country !had been barely adopted by the Motherland. The First Building On May 14, 1840, the first general meeting of the shareholders of jthe New Zealand Company was : held in New Zealand House, JToseph 1 Somes being in"the chairi1 For the 'next 18 years our history is closely associated with Broad Street Buildings. During part of 184.0 Edward , Gibbon Wakefield resided there, j working unceasingly in "the inter- ! ests of this country. His son, 1 Jerningham Wakefield, at that time jresident in New Zekland, apparI ently addressed to New Zealand House his striking accounts of the , country and people — accounts ; afterwards published as a book, the jwell-known "Adventure in New | Zealand." Albert Allom, later E. G., Wakefield's private secretary,' i speaks of his great pleasure in I being sent for on every arrival of i these despatches, in order that he j might have the first perusal. A Forward Step ' Joseph Somes, to-o, spent much ■ time in these rooms, contmuing to | write and work for New Zealand.' ' The following 'extract from one of ihis letters written . to Lord John [Russell, is of special interest:— i "New Zealand House, 9 Broad i Street Buildings, October 22, 1840." My Lord: The gentlemen who have been associated under the name o& the New Zealand -Company for the purpose of promoting thp settle4nent oT^New zMf^h^^avekitKeffo been in a position which has prevented their communicating with their Majesty's Government . . . It is, therefore, with .great satisfaction that the company perceives in the recent proclamation of Captain Hobson, whereby New Zealand is made a British colony, an opening for the satisfactory adjustment o|

its own position and of its relatiqn with Her Majesty's Government." ■5 A Colonist's Room There was even a "Colonist's Room" in New Zealand House, probably for the use of those interested in emigration to New Zealand. From "Oolonists' Room," Edward Duppa wrote in 1841 to JOhn Ward, Concerning the. establishment of a secohd colony (Nelson) in New Zealand. • Time passed. The colonisation of New Zealand had-grown from an idea to a reality, and on June 10, 1858, the thirty-fiffch and final report of the New Zealand. Company was submitted to Its members, gathered in New Zealand House, Broad Street- Buildings. The New Zealand Company was now no more, b'ut this country had so far advanced as to have its own Parlia*ment, and in 1860 Mr. John Morrison wa& appointed "agent for the Government in London." The agency office was at 3 Adelaide Place, London Bridge, near the famous Fishmongers'1 Hall. The present Building The next change came 11 years i later when in 1871 Dr. I. ,E. Feath-

efston was appointed ' first Agent •General for New Zealan$? J.^ie agency offices were. nqwsat '7 West->SiiXi§tq3t-/.CfiLambers, street, Westminster, where they "reinained for 45 years. "In the meantime the colony became/^gr-iwn up," and the oid offices ih Westminster were considered not to be "in keepirig with the dignity and importance of New Zealand." Therefore, the agency was moved to 413-416 The Strand— the present New Zealand House. 'At

the opening ceremony, on May 3, 1916, no less than 1200 New Zealanders were present. Lease For 90 Years . Mr. Massey was Prime Minister of New' Zealand at the time, ahd^'ih speaking of the matter in-| the House, he stated that the leaseiwas for 90 years, and the building! :Iia;d been erected by arrangemfi'nt between the N ew. Zealand ; Gb.Vernment and the owk^M oigl^WTand. Once again New Zealand House is -unequal to the demands made upon it. If the plans for a neW house are carried out, the building will be much larger, and a great deal finer than any of its predecessors. But at the opening ceremony, may it be remembered that long years ago there was a New Zealand House in Old Broad Street.