The New Zealand Company Under Took to Colonise New Zealand

UNDER the inspiration especially of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the New Zealand Association was formed in 1837 to colonise New Zealand. It had prominent men like the Earl of Durham to push its schemes in the British Parliament. But its firmest supporters were the men of capital who intended to go out and take up land. The Association later became a Company in an effort to satisfy the British Government, which was not at all anxious to add new lands to the Empire. In the end the Company forced the hand of the Government by sending out its first boat-loads of emigrants towards the end of 1839. They left England without knowing whether their new country was to be a British possession or not.

New Zealand was a long way off. The Maoris had a bad reputation for fierceness and treachery. There were other new countries, like South Africa and Canada, where enterprising men could go to live. To get the public to know the merits of far away New Zealand, the Company had to carry out a vigorous campaign of publicity. It ran special newspaper. It gave elaborate dinners t important citizens in London, Glasgow, and Dublin. It published books full of detailed it formation about the country and its inhabitant It pointed out how the Maoris were being ruined and robbed by traders. Though the missionary living in New Zealand were inclined to think the Company as bad as the traders, beyond doubt Wakefield and his friends had the welfare of the natives very much at heart. In each of the proposed settlements on land ‘bought from the Maori one-tenth of the whole area was to be reserved and given back to them. The Company believed that the trade goods handed over at the time of purchase was only a part of the price they would pay.