The rise and fall of Grey and his ministry, 1877-1879

Abstract

Much has been written of the career of Sir George Grey as a Colonial Governor. Rees, Henderson and Collier have all developed this romantic period of the 'Great Pro-Consul's' career. Very inadequate attention has been directed to the equally important phase of his life as a Liberal politician and statesman. Yet it required just such a conclusion to give to the career of Grey the appealing individuality it does so definitely possess. The almost entire neglection of this vital period by Grey'a biographers has imbued me with a desire to prove that it was at least as important as any previous three years of his career. My preface, I fear, must constitute my sole apology for this rather monumental thesis. I can plead the excuse of interest alone. In all sincerity I can state that the writing of this monograph has afforded me more pleasure than anything I have attempted since embarking on a degree course. The thesis has been already subjected to some reductions; I felt that further curtailment would destroy the impression of the momentousness of these three years of New Zealand's history, and entail the omission of essentials.