MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 April 1940, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

THE FIRST LAND PURCHASE. (Recorded by J.H.S. for the “Times-Age.”) The first experiment to form a settlement in New Zealand was in 1825. when an English company came to Hokianga. Without organisation or authority, failure was inevitable, and they returned ,to England. The British Government ' was at that time actively opposed to all proposals for annexing ‘’that cannibal Island.” Gibbon Wakefield, the most active and competent factor in all the British proposals for overseas trade and migration. actually saved New Zealand from the fate of becoming a convict colony. In 1837, Wakefield's comprehensive scheme for populating “that ideal centre of sunshine in the South Pacific,” was defeated by the missionaries, whose reasons were not disclosed. Two years later the ship Tory was sent out by the New Zealand Land Company, eventually reaching Pbrt Nicholson, a name adopted by the Maori as “Poneke.” There Wakefield opened up definite proposals with the Maori chiefs for the purchase of 20.000.000 acres, an area exceeding all the open lands, of the North Island. The purchase price was not disclosed, but subsequent estimates were given as £lO,OOO in goods, including tobacco, rum, guns and axes, say, one penny per 8 acres. The first settlers landed at Pito-one (sandy point) in January, 1840. This was found to be unsuitable, and all moved to Lambton. Whanganui was founded later in the same year, and Taranaki in 1841. Otago followed in 1847, and Canterbury in 1850.