General Topography

Sketches of the Early Colonisation of New Zealand

Edward Jerningham Wakefield (1820 - 1879), the only son of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, acted as secretary to his father in Canada in the 1830's and secretary to his uncle , Colonel Wakefield, with whom he travelled to New Zealand in the ship Tory. He is best known for this book Adventure in New Zealand, a lively account of colonial life, first published in 1845.An account of his explorations and of the establishment of the first settlements at Wellington, Wanganui and New Plymouth, by the New Zealand Company In two volumes.

PRICE: NZ$15

Adventure in New Zealand by E. J. Wakefield

In the first 40 years of the twentieth century James Cowan was one of New Zealand's most widely read non-fiction writers. He wrote over 30 books and hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines, mainly about New Zealand's ancient and recent past, its resources and scenic attractions. During his lifetime his writing did much to shape the way New Zealanders perceived their history.

Written in two volumes: Volume One, The North Island, Volume Two, The South Island. In these works James Cowan has endeavored to set before the reader a picture of the unusual quality and variety of New Zealand's landscape beauty, and the attractive qualities for settlers, and to provide travelers with a reliable guide to many districts of interest in the Dominion. Numerous scenes and routes hitherto unknown to the tourist have been explored by the writer and are now described for the first time, and the romantic history and folk law associated with many of the places mentioned has been sketched.

Using his vast knowledge of New Zealand history James Cowan has included among the many wonderful black and white photographs the history of each area, including that of early European, Maori and the various battles between the two. The photographs throughout these volumes do entice you to want and go and take a look, and serve to reiterate that we are the luckiest country in the world.

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Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Baucke, known as William, was born on Chatham Island on 7 July 1848. He was the second of nine children of Johann Heinrich Christoph Baucke and his wife, Maria Müller. Baucke's father was one of a group of German Lutheran missionaries who had come to New Zealand in 1843, and shortly afterwards moved to the Chatham Islands.

In 1862 Baucke was sent to school in Wellington. He later returned to the Chathams, where he became schoolmaster to both native and Pakeha children. Baucke seems to have taught himself French, Italian and Greek; he already spoke German, English, Maori and Moriori.

It is not certain when Baucke moved permanently to the mainland. He is said to have had, for a time, a business running vessels between the islands and New Zealand. He was at Glentunnel, Canterbury, in 1903, but moved to the King Country and had settled in Te Kuiti by 1906, where he worked as a licensed interpreter. By 1914 he had moved to Otorohanga, where he is variously recorded as a journalist, builder and farmer. Baucke immersed himself in Maori village life in the King Country and became a passionate champion of a people he saw as losers in a clash of cultures.

Baucke was best known in his lifetime for his series of tales and articles on Maori life and customs written for the New Zealand Herald and the Auckland Weekly News. This material was collected in 1905 as 'Where the white man treads'; the book was republished in a slightly different form in 1928.

William Baucke's life, varied though it was, may have been less romantic than he implied in some of his writings. Nevertheless, his upbringing had given him the strength of character to rise above difficult circumstances. He was eventually able to use his education and his background to advantage in preserving his knowledge of a vanished language and culture.

In Where the White Man Treads William Bauke does not pull any punches, and this series of articles, had it been written today could be classed as controversial.

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Published in 1909 by Gordon and Gotch Sixty Years in New Zealand is dedicated to the memory of Sir Donald Mclean.
Includes a lot of material concerning Maori and especially the Land wars or New Zealand Wars, with a chapter focusing on "The Hau Hau Outbreak".
There are chapters on specific Maori leaders, Te Kooti and Rewi Maniopoto, as well as one chapter on "The Savages of Otaki".
Other chapters include a description of a pig hunt "in the early days" and early days in Napier.

PRICE NZ$8

Sixty Years in New Zealand

Published in 1883 this book has all the handy information every good colonist should know. 830pp on Farming- bush and fern land; Management of horses, cattle, sheep and crops. monthly calendar of farm operations, The dairy and cheese factories. Poultry. Gardening - kitchen, flower, greenhouse and vinery. Fruit culture, with explicit directions on grafting, pruning and budding for amateurs. Drainage, beekeeping. Insects useful and injurious, Tea, tobacco, olive and hop culture. wine making, soap boiling, curing and storing. The family doctor. The housewife's Text-book of cookery and useful recipes, Mechanical contrivances. Painting, Glue, Cements. Abstract of new Zealand Local Government Laws ect, ect, ect....

And all this hardly begins to cover the information held inside this old book. There are plans for building a settlers cottage, how to water proof clothing, Homeopathic remedies, also Maori Homeopathic remedies. Old recipes for cakes biscuits, scones ect. Growing silk worms, making butter and cheese

PRICE: NZ$25

Brett's Colonist Guide and Cyclopedia of Useful Knowledge

Published in London in 1817 in two volumes, and Written by John Liddaiard Nicholas from a journal he kept during his voyage to New Zealand in the company of the Rev. Samuel Marsden. Nicholas was with Marsden on his historical visit to the Bay of Islands in 1814. This book gives an accurate account of life among the Maori of New Zealand before Christianity took hold. The author was able to give a detailed account of the destruction of the ship 'Boyd' which in the year 1809 was cut off by some tribes in New Zealand, and the crew and passengers all massacred and devoured, except for four individuals. The particulars of this horrible enormity he has related as they were detailed to him by the chief perpetrator, a savage of the most ferocious disposition.

Volume two contains a vocabulary of English and New Zealand words. An interesting day by day account of early New Zealand from an author that was actually there.

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Narrative of a Voyage to New Zealand

This is and all round history of New Zealand from the time of discovery to 1912. Written by Shrimpton and Muligan. Historians consulted for this work include: Dr. James Hight; Mr. T. Lindsay Buick for the period up to 1853; Mr. S. Percy Smith for the chapter on the Aborigines; Mr. James Cowan, for the chapters on the Maori Wars; and Dr. T.W. Leys, for the more recent period.

Contents include: Part I: Old New Zealand (1642-1840) - Discovery, The Aborigines, The First Immigrants, The Missionaries, Tomahawk and Musket in the Brave days of Old, First Attempt at Systematic Settlement, Early Coastal Tragedies, Origin and Growth of British Influence, The Eve of Systematic Colonisation.

Part II: The Crown Colony Period (1840-1853) General Survey, Treaty of Waitangi and Establishment of British Sovereignty, Constitutional and Legal, Land Laws and Land Claims, Early Settlements of the New Zealand Company, Conflicts with the Maori, The Foundation of the Southern Settlements, Public Finance, The Establishment of the Church of England, The End of the Company, The Work of the Early Governors.

Part III: The Provincial Government Period (1853-1875) Responsible Government, The Drift into War, The Taranaki War, The Waikato and Later Campaigns, Public Works and Immigration, Abolition of the Provinces.

Part IV: The Period of General Government (from 1876 onward) The Continuous Ministry and the Bad Times, Liberalism and Good Times, The Last Years of Liberalism.

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A History of New Zealand

Where the White Man Treads Across the Pathway of the Maori

Travel in New Zealand in Two Volumes by James Cowan

Written by the painter E. W. Payton, Around About New Zealand describes his travels around New Zealand for three or four years during the 1880's. Great descriptions of the towns, cities, and districts of New Zealand at that time.

Also he gives a good description of the modes of transport throughout New Zealand, so if you have been wondering how people got around so much in the early day's, this is the book that will answer those questions

PRICE: NZ$12

Round About New Zealand by E. W. Payton

Throughout the following pages will be found, it is to be hoped, a collection of short and interesting Sketches of Early Colonists Life in New Zealand (being a country singularly prolific of many thrilling scenes there enacted during years long gone by), which are written in a racy and catchy style, peculiar of the soil.

Before launching these "Sketches of Early Colonization in New Zealand, and it's phases of contact with the Maori race" upon the public, it may not be uninteresting to the reader for me to state that having arrived in the Colony when of tender age, I was shortly afterwards sent to a semi-native school, where Maori and white lads commingled in the same classes, where I received my initiatory experience and knowledge of the Maori people and their mythological history

PRICE: NZ$10

published in 1898 by The Arthur Cleave Publishing Company.

An Illustrated Historical and Commercial Review, Descriptive and Biographical Facts and Figures and Illustrations. An Epitome of Progress: Businessmen and Commercial Interests.

Price NZD$25

Industries of New Zealand

Compiled by the Right Hon. Sir J.G. Ward - Minister or Lands, first published in 1902, this Edition is the third printing from 1911. 243 pages, this book gives a description of New Zealand, the Land Laws and Administration, a guide to stocking and working a farm, the importance of the Dairy Industry, The legal rights and Duties of Settlers, And a Description of all the Land District. A Good guide for all New Settlers hoping to acquire land and Settle in New Zealand.

Price NZD$20

New Zealand Settlers Handbook