The Rohe Potae Commercial Economy in the Mid- Ineteenth Century, C.1830-1886
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The Rohe Potae Commercial Economy in the Mid- ineteenth Century, c.1830-1886 A report commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal February 2011 Andre\\! Francis The Author Andrew Francis holds a BA (Hons) in History from the University of Westminster (London), a Master’s degree in History from the University of Westminster (London), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (History) from the University of London. He also holds a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington. He joined the Waitangi Tribunal in April 2009 where he has since completed reports for the Whanganui and Te Rohe Potae district inquiries. Aside from the following report he also completed, in December 2009, a support project for the Te Rohe Potae inquiry on the workings of the Waikato Compensation Court, 1863-1867. He has research interests in Edwardian spy literature, the British Empire during the First and Second World War, and British film propaganda of the 1940s and ‘50s. He has several publications in these fields to his name, and is currently in the process of negotiating a book publication contract with a UK university press for his PhD thesis on the treatment of enemy aliens in New Zealand during the First World War. i Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people and institutions for their assistance in the preparation of this report. First, I would like to thank the staff of the Alexander Turnbull Library and the National Library in Wellington. I would also like to extend my appreciation to Catherine Jehly and Claire Orbell of the Te Awamutu Museum, the staff of the John Kinder Theological Library in Meadowbank, Auckland, and the staff of National Archives in Auckland. I would also like to thank my colleagues Noel Harris for providing me with maps, and Paul Thomas, Leanne Boulton, Jonathan Sarich and Kesaia Waigth who provided valuable contextual information. I would also like to acknowledge Bede Laracy for his research assistance, employed under my direction. ii Weights and Measures This report deals with Imperial weights and measures. For ease of reference these are some of the basic units and conversions: 1 pound (lb) = 14 ounces (oz) Metric conversion = 0.45 kg 1 stone (st) = 16 lbs or 7.25 kgs 112 lbs = 1 hundredweight (cwt) or 50.8 kgs 1 ton = 2,240 lbs or 1.016 metric ton 24 bushels per acre of wheat (average) iii Table of Contents THE AUTHOR................................................................................................................................................................................ I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................................. II WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ....................................................................................................................................................... III LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................................................................... V LIST OF IMAGES .......................................................................................................................................................................... V LIST OF MAPS.............................................................................................................................................................................. VI COMMISSIONING OF THE REPORT (WAI 898 DOC # 2.3.49) ................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................................................3 METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................................................................................................5 Chapter One: Early Maori-Settler Trade and the Influence of the Mission Societies, 1830-1850 ............................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................................................................7 EARLY MAORI-PAKEHA TRADE ................................................................................................................................................7 EARLY TRADE IN THE INQUIRY DISTRICT ...............................................................................................................................8 FLAX TRADE .................................................................................................................................................................................9 GENERAL TRADE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12 THE RISE OF THE PAKEHA-MAORI........................................................................................................................................ 18 THE INFLUENCE OF CHURCH MISSIONARIES IN THE ROHE POTAE .............................................................................. 20 JOHN MORGAN AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OTAWHAO STATION .................................................................... 21 GEORGE GREY AND THE MISSION STATIONS .................................................................................................................... 31 ASHWELL, MORGAN AND THE MEANING OF ‘CIVILIZATION’ .......................................................................................... 34 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................................. 38 Chapter Two: ‘The Granary of the North Island’: The Economic Growth of the Rohe Potae, 1845-1855 .................................................................... 40 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 IMPRESSIONS OF THE DISTRICT .............................................................................................................................................. 40 THE WHEAT AND FLOUR MILL REVOLUTION .................................................................................................................... 44 INTER-HAPU RIVALRY AND CO-OPERATION ...................................................................................................................... 57 AUCKLAND MARKET AND THE CANOE TRADE ................................................................................................................. 59 COASTAL SHIPPING TRADE .................................................................................................................................................... 68 EFFECT ON MAORI ................................................................................................................................................................... 72 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................................. 75 Chapter Three: ‘Darkening the Picture’: 1856-1866 ................................ 78 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 78 THE DECLINE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 78 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................................. 94 Chapter Four: ‘Sad Havoc?’ The Agricultural Economy of the Rohe Potae, 1866-1886 ............................................................................................ 97 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 97 THE POST-WAR AGRICULTURAL REVIVAL............................................................................................................................. 97 POST-WAR ECONOMIC RECOVERY ..................................................................................................................................... 100 END OF THE AUKATI .............................................................................................................................................................. 116 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................................................... 117 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 118 Bibliography ...................................................................................... 126 Appendix ........................................................................................... 135 Commission ......................................................................................