Immigration into Hawke's Bay, 1858 - 1876

Abstract

This thesis grew from the records of the Immigration Office in Napier, which were deposited in the Hawke's Bay Museum in September 1961. The bulk of these documents covered the years from 1872 to 1888, but there were a few referring to the period from 1860 to 1871. As it appeared that the majority of the records of the earlier period had disappeared, my original attention was to outline this period briefly, and then deal in more detail with immigration from 1872 to the closing of the Napier office in 1888. A search of the Hawke's Bay Provincial Archives revealed most of the missing records. This made it possible to give a full account of the early period. Research also showed that, with the abolition of the provinces in 1876, immigration to Hawke's Bay ceased to have a provincial flavour, and became merged into a national pattern controlled from Wellington. Hawke's Bay had little significance in this national scene after 1876. The local Immigration Officer reported on the labour demand, but beyond that he was merely a minor agent of the General Government. No longer was there anyone to keep an eye on the peculiar needs of Hawke's Bay and to press recommendations or individual schemes.