Prior to 1800 in New Zealand

'Prior to 1800 in New Zealand':
Years in New Zealand from 1800 onwards
1800 | 1801 | 1802 | 1803 | 1804 | 1805 | 1806

The first humans are thought to have arrived in New Zealand from Polynesia some time between 800AD and 1385AD.[1] The people, who later became recognised as Māori, eventually travelled to almost every part of the country. Their arrival had a significant impact on the local fauna, particularly the flightless birds such as moa.

The first recorded sighting of New Zealand by a European was by a crew-member of Abel Tasman's ship in 1642, although no landing took place. Some of the crew were killed in Golden Bay and there was no other contact with local Māori. Tasman only visited and mapped the north and north-west coast of the South Island and part of the west coast of the North Island and remained unaware of the insularity of New Zealand.

The next known visit by Europeans was in 1769 when James Cook arrives. Cook circumnavigated the country mapping the majority of both islands and making only two erroneous assumptions, Banks Island (Peninsula) and South Cape (Stewart Island). Cook had numerous meetings with Māori, helped by having aboard a Tahitian, Tupaia, whose language has many similarities with that of the Māori. Cook returned on his second voyage in 1773 and late 1774, and on his third voyage in 1777. Although relations with Māori were generally friendly, with of course many misunderstandings on both sides, on one occasion a number of his crew were killed and eaten.

Shortly after Cook’s first arrival Jean de Surville also briefly visited New Zealand and in fact the two ships may have almost been within sight of each other. Surville’s encounters with Māori were inconsistent and he kidnapped a chief on his departure.

A few years later another Frenchman, Marion du Fresne, arrived. His visit also ended badly as du Fresne and some of his crew were killed and the remaining crew retaliated by killing a considerable number of Māori.

There are no more recorded visits for 20 years, although vessels unlicensed by the East India Company may have been deliberately vague about any activities in New Zealand waters.[2] In the 1790s there were visits by scientists/explorers, sealers, flax/timber collectors and whalers. By 1800 the first pakeha were living in New Zealand and the first Māori to leave and return again were able to relate their experiences of lands and people from other countries.[3]

Incumbents

Regal and vice-regal

Any reference to New Zealand in a legal rather than geographic sense before 1840 is complex and unclear. When the British colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 it nominally included New Zealand as far as 43°39'S (approximately halfway down the South Island). In the years before 1800 there was little interest shown in New Zealand except for the events of 1793 (see below).

  1. 23 January 1788 - 10 December 1792 - Captain Arthur Phillip RN
  2. 11 September 1795 - 27 September 1800 - Captain John Hunter RN[4]

Events

1642

1643

1768

1769

1770

1772

1773

1774

1775

1777

1787

1788

1791

1792

1793

1794

1795

1796

1797

1798

Undated

1799

Births

See also

For world events and topics before 1800 not specifically related to New Zealand see specific years

References

  1. "Study questions date of Maori arrival in NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  2. There is some evidence that a child was born of part-European parentage in the mid-1780s and also that an introduced disease, possibly dysentery, affected tribes in the Whitianga area around the same time.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 Salmond, Anne. Between Worlds. 1997. Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd. ISBN 0-670-87787-5.
  4. Dictionary of Australian Biography: John Hunter
  5. "Tasman’s achievement". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  6. "Abel Tasman". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  7. "Exploration and settlement. The early voyages of discovery.". Anthony G. Flude. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  8. John Dunmore. 'Surville, Jean François Marie de - Biography', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Sep-10
  9. Michael King, God's Farthest Outpost: A History Of Catholics In New Zealand, Penguin Books, Auckland, 1997, p. 73.
  10. Captain Cook Society - Chronolgy
  11. "Governor Phillip's Instructions 25 April 1787 (UK)". Documenting a Democracy. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 2006-05-28. Robert J. King, "Terra Australis, New Holland and New South Wales: the Treaty of Tordesillas and Australia", The Globe, no.47, 1998, pp.35-55.
  12. New Zealand Electronic Text Collection: FROM TASMAN TO MARSDEN - 4. Kidnapping Flax Dressers, 1792 and 1793
  13. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition: Raven, William (1756 - 1814)
  14. 'DUSKY SOUND', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 22-Apr-09
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Dictionary of New Zealand Biography: Samuel Marsden
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Samuel Marsden Biography
  17. Not to be confused with Cook’s ship of the same name.
  18. The ship may have been deliberately named after the ship that visited New Zealand the previous year in an attempt to avoid trading restrictions imposed by the East India Company. When the ship is later seized in Bengal 23 escaped convicts were found on board. Captain Hingston claimed he was on a legitimate trip under Governor Hunter’s authority. Before this could be verified he sold the ship and vanished with the proceeds.