New Zealand Memories Issue 149
ARTICLE Hardwicke – New Zealand’s Southernmost Settlement Gordon Campbell An attempt to establish a small, remote Crown Colony far to the south of New Zealand was a dismal failure. Peering through a sudden break in the curtain of fog that blanketed the sea, the settlers on board the Fancy got their first unpromising view of the islands that would be their new home. They had been sailing in squally weather through the dense, driving mist for the past four days. Unable to take observations to confirm his position, but knowing he was in the vicinity of the islands, Captain Davidson knew his situation was extremely dangerous. He was concerned that his ship could carry on blindly, missing the islands altogether and sailing on into the landless sub-Antarctic Ocean. There was also the added fear that the ship could be wrecked on the rock-bound cliffs that lined the island’s western shores. For a few minutes the mist cleared enough to reveal the South Cape of Adams Island, the southernmost point of the group. The relief on board was palpable as the ship made its way up the eastern coastline towards their new home. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand ref:MSX-8008, A-093-008 4
ARTICLE It was December 27, 1849, and the Fancy was the last of the three ships to arrive at the new settlement at Port Ross, at the northern end of Auckland Island. This settlement venture was led by Charles Enderby. He was the grandson of Samuel Enderby who had established the British Southern Whale Fishery, the most successful British whaling firm throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s. By the 1830s the British whaling industry was in decline and Britain was becoming more dependent on foreign nations, particularly America, for its supply of whale oils. To remedy this situation Charles Enderby promoted the idea of setting up a colony in the Southern Pacific Ocean to specifically support a whaling industry. Having a fleet of whaling vessels permanently stationed in the heart of the whaling seas would avoid the need for the long, expensive voyages from Britain. From this South Pacific base whaling ships could be sent out to hunt Southern Right whales, whose oil would be stored at the station before being loaded onto especially equipped ships for transport to England. In this way there would always be ships in the whaling grounds, and oil on its way to England. Enderby envisioned the colony would be entirely self-supporting. Agriculture and market gardens would supply a surplus of food, and its location on the Great Circle trade route between Australia and Britain meant it would be a convenient port of call to refit and resupply merchant ships. The Auckland Islands were chosen as the site for a new Crown Colony that would complement this whaling station. The colonisation of the islands was to be simultaneous with the development of the whale fishery. The islands had been discovered by Captain Abraham Bristow, of the Enderby whaler Ocean in 1806, and the company had been granted a 30 year lease of the islands for a minimal rental in 1847. A settlement, named Hardwicke after the Governor of the company, was planned for Port Ross. Charles Enderby was to be the company’s Chief Commissioner at Hardwicke and was also given Her Majesty’s commission as Lieutenant-Governor of the Auckland Islands. This was to be a planned settlement along the lines of the “balanced” Wakefield settlements in Wellington, Nelson and New Plymouth. A range of trades and professions were represented in the colonists selected for the initial settlement. As well as a surveyor and storekeeper, there were doctors, clerks, boatmen, coopers, shipwrights, carpenters, blacksmiths, bricklayers, masons, farmers and labourers, providing the necessary skills to help ensure the success of the tiny, remote new colony. Young married couples were valued for the permanence and stability they would provide. Overseeing the establishment of the colony was the Assistant Commissioner, William Mackworth. Only 24 years old, he was the colonial administrator who described himself as, “soldier, sailor, judge, lawyer, engineer and everything else.” 1 He carried out the day to day management of the enterprise. His diary records a lot of his energy was spent acting as a mediator between Lieutenant-Governor Enderby and the colonists. 1 McLaren, Fergus The Auckland Islands: Their Eventful History. p.51 Top: Auckland Islands Diary Volume Two, 20 Feb to 23 April 1852. Barracks on the beach and the buildings of the Southern Whale Fishery Company’s settlement at Port Ross, 1850 -1852. 5
- Page 1 and 2: APPETISER Pride in the Job “Paint
- Page 3: Editor Wendy Rhodes Graphic Design
- Page 7 and 8: ARTICLE the eventual failure of the
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- Page 11 and 12: No Shortage of Accommodation The to
- Page 13 and 14: DANCE competitions. In June 1952, M
ARTICLE<br />
Hardwicke – <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>’s<br />
Southernmost Settlement<br />
Gordon Campbell<br />
An attempt to establish a small, remote Crown Colony<br />
far to the south of <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> was a dismal failure.<br />
Peering through a sudden break in the curtain of fog that blanketed the sea, the settlers on board the<br />
Fancy got their first unpromising view of the islands that would be their new home. They had been<br />
sailing in squally weather through the dense, driving mist for the past four days. Unable to take<br />
observations to confirm his position, but knowing he was in the vicinity of the islands, Captain<br />
Davidson knew his situation was extremely dangerous. He was concerned that his ship could carry on blindly,<br />
missing the islands altogether and sailing on into the landless sub-Antarctic Ocean. There was also the added fear<br />
that the ship could be wrecked on the rock-bound cliffs that lined the island’s western shores. For a few minutes<br />
the mist cleared enough to reveal the South Cape of Adams Island, the southernmost point of the group. The<br />
relief on board was palpable as the ship made its way up the eastern coastline towards their new home.<br />
Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> ref:MSX-8008, A-093-008<br />
4
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