The Literary Periodical in New Zealand

Abstract

"Just seven years after the founding of the colony Dickens wrote of himself…'Inimitable, very mouldy and dull…Disposed to go to New Zealand and start a magazine.' At that time it was the height of absurdity to suggest starting a literary magazine in the home of cannibals and yet in less than four years from that time the attempt was actually made; and failed of course, as it did when tried again twelve years after... From that day to this New Zealand magazines have appeared with regularity of spring flowers and withered away almost as quickly…" Those were the words with which the magazine Zealandia began in 1889. It managed to complete twelve monthly numbers before the winter frosts fulfilled the editor's prophetic words. It is with such magazines that this thesis deals: a few quarterlies or monthlies, sober in tone and serious in intent; more than a few monthlies or weeklies, popular, comic or vitriolic; and one or two published under the enthusiasm of their promoters and supported one would think by that alone. The difficulties peculiar to a new colony are by now a commonplace of literary criticism: the absence of a writing and reading population was a fact obvious, inevitable and acidly appreciated as early as 1857 when A.S.Thomson recorded that 'ditchers were more esteemed than poets' - an aphorism that was to be remembered for many years to come. Today though New Zealand has a population approaching two millions and communication is easy and swift, serious periodicals still have a struggle to survive. It is not surprising then that whereas newspapers were quickly established in each centre, periodicals modelled on current English publications were not a success. "Two attempts were made to get up a review at Wellington, but the articles lacked fire, variety and originality; besides the settlers are yet too busy cutting roads, bridging gullies and tending cattle and sheep to find literature a necessary of life, and good literature only flourishes in the shade of luxury and opulence." Wellington at that time had a population of from five to ten thousand, and though a small settlement may encourage a spiritof comradeship, the local talent fostered is that of a Barr or Blair as in Dunedin.