To research ancestors or extended family members who emigrated to New Zealand in the 19th century, family historians would be advised to study the various patterns of settlement.

Although the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand in 1642, he didn’t land or claim it for Holland; it was Captain James Cook, a British explorer, who was first to claim the land for King George III in 1769. Cook was to report back the suitability of New Zealand as a country of settlement, its resources and usefulness in trade.

There were two distinct waves of immigrants settling in New Zealand. The first wave consisted of European settlers in the late 1700s and early 1800s – government officials, whalers and sealers, missionaries, traders and escaped convicts from Australia, who often worked with the whalers and sealers.

The second wave come after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between government officials and the Maori chiefs in February 1840. This established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognised Maori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave them the rights of British subjects. After the treaty, families, single men and a few single women were assisted out to New Zealand to purchase land; soldiers and their families were also helped to settle in the new country. The main towns were Auckland (the capital city until it moved to Wellington), Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with smaller towns in between such as Wanganui, Thames, New Plymouth and Nelson. The population grew rapidly in the late 1840s and early 1850s.

Where did the settlers come from? A majority of the settlers came from England; next, a high proportion came from Ireland; and then Scotland and Wales. Most of the English came from Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset in the south west; Hampshire and Kent in the south east; London (including Middlesex); Warwick in the central Midlands; and Yorkshire.

The highest proportion of British settlers during the 1840s and 1850s were from rural England, and were typically from the agricultural trades or builders and miners, while most white collar workers came from London.

The Irish immigrants over the period 1840-1852 mostly came from just eight counties: County Dublin in Leinster; Counties Cork, Limerick and Tipperary in Munster; and Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, and Londonderry in Ulster. Many were driven to emigrate by the potato famine.

Scots immigrants who arrived in New Zealand over the same period mostly came from Caithness in the far north; Aberdeen in the north east; Angus and Midlothian in the eastern lowlands; and Ayr, Renfrew, and Lanark in the western lowlands.

The New Zealand Company assisted large numbers of British people to New Zealand, firstly in New Plymouth, Nelson and Wellington, then later in Otago and Canterbury. A Paisley group emigrated after a meeting was held because of lack of work in the area, and made their new home in Auckland.

Julius Vogel, the country’s eighth prime minister (born in London) had a vision to develop the country during his administration in the 1870s. His scheme was to assist “elected migrants and people chosen by relatives” to settle and cultivate the new land – more than 100,000 people were assisted to New Zealand under his influence.

The military formed another large group of settlers. More than 700 men were deployed for the Northern War of 1845-46 (also known as the Flagstaff War, between the UK and the Maori) and stayed after they were discharged from the British regiments.

The next groups of soldiers were brought out to settle in Auckland to provide military protection to settlers from the Maori – these were known as the Royal New Zealand Fencibles. These retired soldiers (who had to be under 48 and with at least 15 years’ military experience) came from England and Ireland, and with their wives and children settled in four areas of South Auckland: Onehunga, Otahuhu, Howick and Panmure. The soldiers and their families established communities, and were expected to parade in full uniform once a week.

Each officer was given a house and 50 acres of land. The other men were to be provided with a prefabricated fencibles cottage of two rooms, on an acre of land. After seven years the cottage and land would become their own property in exchange for attending military exercises 12 days a year.

The war between the Maori and settlers in the 1860s provided another reason for a fresh group of soldiers to settle in New Zealand. When the war was finished, once again many men took their discharge from the army and stayed.

Gold was discovered in Otago in 1861 and Westland in 1865 and this brought out the largest numbers of immigrants. Although some were still coming from England, large numbers also came from Australia – in 1863 alone, 45,730 people arrived in New Zealand.

There were various reasons for people wanting to move to New Zealand; overpopulation and lack of available land in England prompted people to emigrate, with the promise of a new start and cheap land, and opportunities for trade. Settlers became farmers, worked for the railway or in mining; keepers, brewers, and builders were also among the many occupations taken up by the immigrants.

The settlers brought with them traditions and cultures from their homeland, but had to build their new towns using local materials. Churches were built on hills, schools and stores established to make the new country look and feel more civilized like ‘home’, but bricks weren’t as available so builders used the abundant timber to build their homes.

Different communities developed New Zealand’s cities according to the country they left, and their distinct features have survived today: Dunedin is known as a Scottish city with its design and street names mimicking those of Edinburgh; Christchurch was known for its Englishness; Auckland started off as a mixed group of settlers and remains so today.

Knowing which of these many types of settlers your ancestors were will help enormously with learning more about their lives.

Timeline