higher migration and empire - scots in new zealand

Migration &
Empire,
1830-1939
Emigrant Scots in
New Zealand

In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the impact of Scottish
emigrants in New Zealand
Emigrant Scots in New Zealand

Although a huge distance from Scotland, New
Zealand was the choice of new home for many Scots
during the 1800s and 1900s.

Between 1880 and 1915,
around one quarter of all
UK emigrants living in New
Zealand came from
Scotland.
At this same time almost
70% of Scottish emigrants
in New Zealand had come
from the Lowlands of
Scotland.

Economy and
Enterprise

Scots who moved to New
Zealand had a substantial
economic impact.
This was in many different
ways, including bringing
skills and working in
different industries, and
also in developing the
country’s economy by
setting up businesses.

Farm workers were
particularly needed in
New Zealand.
Many Scots took their
farming experience and
set up farms. They then
influenced the country’s
development of sheep
farming, and introduced
other changes too.

In the 1870s, New
Zealand’s government
borrowed money to
develop the country’s
public works, such as
railways, telegraph lines
and roads.
Many Scots were attracted
to New Zealand to help
build these items.

Gold mining was a major
reason for Scottish
emigration to New
Zealand.
Discoveries of gold in the
Otago area in the mid-
1800s attracted many
Scots to make the journey
in the hope of making
their fortune.

Scottish emigrants were
not just manual, farm and
industrial workers, many
also worked as
professionals.
Teachers, lawyers, doctors
and other trained people
were persuaded to make
the journey and start a
new life.

Scots also influenced New
Zealand’s science
development.
They set up a medical
school in Otago, and
another Scottish emigrant
founded the Geological
Survey of New Zealand,
promoting scientific
research.

There were numerous
businesses set up by Scots
in New Zealand, making
them money and also
creating jobs for others.
This included the Union
Steamship Company that
was funded with
investments from Scots
such as Peter Denny.

Peter and David Duncan,
from Forfar were
engineers who set up a
company to sell farming
equipment.
Other Scots were heavily
involved in New Zealand’s
paper making industry,
either through logging or
paper production.

Scots played a role in
other industries too.
The National Bank of New
Zealand was set up in
1872 with an emigrant
Scot (Alexander Kerr) as its
first branch manager. In
1843 William Brown set
up a newspaper called the
Southern Herald.

New Zealand:
economy
Farming
Banking
Job types
Mining
Science
Other

Culture and
religion

The Scots who moved to
New Zealand changed the
look of the country in
various ways.
They brought with them
new religion and also
different traditions. In
addition they also had an
education and political
influence.

Some Scots who made the
journey to New Zealand
did so as missionaries
trying to spread the word
of God.
This involved them trying
to convert native people,
but also setting up
churches across New
Zealand’s islands.

Many of these Scots were
Presbyterian, and the
churches they opened
allowed Scots to continue
to practice their faith.
Reverend Thomas Burns
(the poet Robert’s
nephew) was sent by the
Free Church of Scotland to
open a new settlement.

A great many educational
establishments were
opened by Scots.
The University of Otago
was opened by Scottish
emigrants, and later the
country’s first medical
school was opened in the
same area, partly staffed
by Scots.

Other Scots opened
schools, often being
taught based on the
Scottish curriculum.
This includes Otago Boys’
High School (set up in
1864) and Otago Girls’
High School (set up in
1871), one of the world’s
first all-girl schools.

Some of the migrants
played a role in New
Zealand politics,
participating in local and
national elections.
Peter Fraser, New
Zealand’s Prime Minister
from 1940 to 1949 was
born in Easter Ross in the
Highlands.

Robert Stout was twice
Prime Minister of New
Zealand in the late 1800s.
He was born in the
Shetland Islands.
Stout supported women’s
rights, including giving
them the vote and also
laws to protect their
property ownership.

Scottish emigrants
introduced sporting,
musical and literature
activities to help them
keep links with home.
Highland Games were
held in different areas, and
other Scots also played
sports such as golf, curling
and shinty.

One obvious Scottish
sporting influence is in the
city of Dunedin's main
rugby team – the
Highlanders.
This team – set up in the
1990s - was given this
name due to the influence
of early Scottish settlers in
the area.

Scots set up clubs and
groups to promote their
musical heritage.
Burns Clubs held annual
Burns Suppers and had
readings during the year.
Other groups played the
bagpipes or held ceilidhs,
involving Scottish
instruments.

Like in other countries, the
Scots named places in
their new home after
locations in Scotland.
Names such as Kelso and
Bannockburn can be
found. One of the
country’s biggest cities,
Dunedin, means
Edinburgh in Gaelic.

Aspects of language and
dialect were also affected
by Scottish emigrants.
For many years Gaelic was
spoken in different areas
and in some parts of New
Zealand’s south island
they still have a form of
speech which is similar to
Scottish pronunciation.

Scottish emigrants have
even affected holidays in
New Zealand.
Otago Anniversary Day is
a public holiday which
marks the arrival of the
first Scottish settlers in
Dunedin. Tartan Day is a
modern celebration of
Scottish links.

New Zealand:
culture
Education
Place
names &
language
Music &
literature
Religion
Sport
Politics

Native
societies

Scottish relations with
native New Zealanders –
known as Maoris – were
often difficult.
Although there are some
instances of good
relations between the two
groups there are also
examples of extreme
violence.

Initially there were some
positive links between
Scots and the Maoris.
Scots traded with the
native peoples that they
met, and the Maoris
responded by helping the
Scots to survive winters in
the area, including
supplying food.

Land issues inevitably led
to arguments between
Scots and Maoris.
The Scots wanted land to
start farms and set up
towns, but this meant
taking control of land
which was used by the
Maori people (especially
in the Otago area).

Scottish farms being set up
across New Zealand had a
major effect on the
environment, resulting in
mass clearance of trees to
create suitable land.
This had an influence on
the Maori people,
especially on how they
moved and hunted.

Partly to try and stop land
disagreements, some
Scots made deals with the
Maoris to buy land –
however this often led to
other problems.
For instance it was not
always clear who owned
land, or the wrong land
was claimed.

The 1840 Treaty of
Waitangi was a legal
agreement between the
British government and
Maori tribes.
The British wanted this to
allow them to buy land;
some Maoris wanted this
to get military help
against French forces.

The treaty agreed Maori
ownership of land and
that the British
government was the only
body authorised to buy
this land.
The treaty was not backed
by all Maoris, and many
leaders urged others to
reject the deal.

The deadliest period in
Scottish/Maori links was
the New Zealand Wars (of
1845 to 1872.
This involved regular
battles and hostilities
between settlers and the
Maoris, often caused by
arguments about land
purchases.

Examples of battles during
this was include the
Northern War and East
Cape War.
It is estimated that around
3000 people died as a
result of these conflicts (c.
750 British deaths and
more than 2000 Maori
casualties)

Many of the Scots that
went to New Zealand did
so as missionaries hoping
to convert the native
people to Christianity.
However many Maoris did
not change their religion
and were angry at the
Scots’ dismissal of their
beliefs.

Many Maoris did change
their religion and built
good links with Scottish
missionaries.
There were instances of
missionaries trying to
protect Maoris during
periods of conflict
between the Scots and
native peoples.

Some Scots married Maori
people, although these
relationships often led to
criticisms.
Some churches later sent
Scottish women to be the
wives of male
missionaries, to prevent
Scottish and Maori
marriage.

New Zealand:
natives
Land
Religion
Children
Battles
Marriage
Trade

higher migration and empire - scots in new zealand

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