2e euro British migration to New Zealand

19th century British migration to New Zealand

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• New Zealand was discovered by Abel Tasman (a Dutch) in 1642.

• But the British migration really started after James Cook rediscovered it in 1769. Then the first British settlers were sealers or whalers.

• The main wave of migration started in 1840, with the Treaty of Waitangi (that made New Zealand an official British colony) and the creation of the New Zealand company (responsible to promote the migration).

• In 1839, there were less than 2000 Europeans in NZ ; in 1911, about 1 million, mostly English.

• In the 19^th century, outstanding development of NZ : new infrastructures (ex : harbours, railways, …).

• With the first refrigerated meat factories and ships (from the 1880’s), the NZ farmers could even sell their meat (mainly mutton) production to the rest of the world.

• New Zealand was then a land of social reforms.

• First country in the world to give the right to vote to women (1893) or pensions to old people.

• But the living conditions of the Maoris (native population) worsened (fightings, diseases, land confiscations, …).

• They were more than 100 000 in 1800 (estimations) and about 42 000 in the end of the 19^th century.