What was New Zealand like when the Treaty was signed in 1840?
I get the feeling that Maori still lived in a very primitive
state. That there were very few settlers
and life was quite spartan, with only the basics for existence. There was no government or governmental
institutions, very little commerce and virtually no businesses or trade. I got the feeling that shipping was very limited
with endless waits for the next ship to arrive to bring provisions. It was subsistence living.
I even wondered how they managed to find the paper for
drafting the Treaty and its various copies.
I was therefore very surprised to find a website of the
National Library that has copies of New Zealand newspapers as far back as 1841. They tell a very different story. The reality
is that New Zealand was a very thriving colony when the Treaty was signed, with an
ample supply of produce and goods from the rest of the world and many of the
comforts of life.
The main page for the New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette
is at:
Papers
Past | Newspapers | Explore | New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette
(natlib.govt.nz)
Enter 1841 in the drop down box at top left and select 10 July in bold. The various pages for that date will be shown with the first page on the left. Click on it to enlarge. Welcome to the Colony of New Zealand and its version of Facebook 1840 style.
You have at your disposal
various schooners heading for Sydney, the Bay of Islands or even Valparaiso.
There are waterproof hats for sale as well as damask dresses, fur coats and scotch bonnets, along with gunpowder in 25 lb kegs.
Also available are superior cigars, port, gin and virtually every
sort of alcohol, plus tumblers, wine and liquer (sic) glasses to drink it out
of.
There is an architect advertising his services, and various
allotments for sale, one in lower Albert Street in Auckland City. There is even job at the Herald for “a Smart Lad
who can read and write”.
In the third column is a personal thank you to WC Daldy Esq,, the commander of the schooner "Shamrock", from the passengers on a trip from Sydney. It contains old-fashioned language and old-fashioned values that are quite charming.
Press next page at top right to go to page 2. Discover the number of ships visiting Auckland
and the wholesale costs of imports.
The subsequent pages are full of fascinating information about
life in New Zealand in the 1840s.
Overall there is an immense feeling of positivity about the future of
the new colony.
You can search other dates and also all of the other
newspapers in New Zealand.
I am sure that everyone who goes through this incredible slice of history will change their view on how they have imagined New Zealand in 1840.
New Zealand comes across as quite a well-developed colony with happy settlers and with excellent relations between the settlers and Maori who appear very happy to share the improvements to their way of life.
One gets the feeling that this was a great opportunity for Maori and settlers to grow together in their new country.
Perhaps that is what the Treaty
was really all about, rather than setting them against each other on the basis of
race.
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