1820 in New Zealand

← 1819 1818 1817 1820 in New Zealand → 1821 1822 1823
Decades:	1800s 1810s 1820s 1830s 1840s
See also:	Other events of 1820 Timeline of New Zealand history

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Any reference to New Zealand in a legal rather than geographic sense prior to 1840 is complex and unclear. When the British colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 it nominally included New Zealand as far as 43°39'S (approximately halfway down the South Island).

• Head of State – King George III dies on 26 June. He is succeeded by King George IV who has been the Prince Regent since 1811.
• Governor of New South Wales – Lachlan Macquarie’s offer to resign is finally accepted at the end of the year but he does not leave New South Wales until 12 February 1822.^[1] His successor, Major-General Sir Thomas Brisbane, is advised of his appointment on 3 November, but does not arrive in Sydney until 7 November 1821.^[2]

Events

• 27 February – Samuel Marsden arrives on his third visit to New Zealand, on the HMS Dromedary. He unsuccessfully attempts to dissuade Thomas Kendall from his impending visit to England.^[3] The Dromedary spends 5 month getting timber in Whangaroa Harbour.^[4]
• 2 March – Kendall, Hongi Hika and Hongi’s nephew Waikato from Rangihoua sail for England in the whaler New Zealander. Kendall confers with Professor Samuel Lee at Cambridge on the publication of Grammar and Vocabulary of the New Zealand Language. The book is published at the end of the year. The well known painting of Kendall with the 2 chiefs is painted by James Barry. Hongi’s main purpose in this trip is to obtain muskets, at which he is eventually successful.^[5][6][7][8]
• 3 May – A plough is used for the first time in New Zealand when John Gare Butler drives a team of six bullocks at Kerikeri.^[9]
• 14 July – Marsden’s second visit to Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), on HMS Coromandel. He climbs Maungarei / Mount Wellington and is the first European to sight Manukau Harbour. He may also have preached at or near Maraetai at this time.^[10] Marsden returns to the Bay of Islands via the Kaipara Harbour and is one of the first Europeans to see the harbour and the site of future Dargaville.^[11]
• 27 August – Captain R.A. Cruise of the 84th Regiment visits Tamaki Makaurau on the colonial schooner Prince Regent.^[10]
• 9 November – Marsden again visits Tamaki Makaurau, this time with Butler. They visit Tamaki River and cross the isthmus to Manukau Harbour and visit Onehunga and the Manukau Heads but cannot exit the harbour because of the bar at the entrance.^[10][12]
• 12 November – Kendall is ordained as a priest by Bowyer Sparke, Bishop of Ely.^[5][6]
• 5 December – Marsden leaves at the end of his third visit.^[3]

Undated

• Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, a naval officer for the Russian Empire, visits the Marlborough Sounds for 9 days in the Mirnyi and Vostock. His ships may have been those seen by Te Rauparaha around this time.^[13][14]
• Marsden is the first European to see Tauranga Harbour.^[3][15]
• Waikato and Ngāti Maniapoto defeat Ngāti Toa in 2 battles near at Kāwhia Harbour. After a siege at the harbour Ngāti Toa agree to cede their land and move south. Te Wherowhero is one of the leaders of Waikato, Te Rauparaha and Te Pēhi Kupe lead Ngāti Toa.^[14][16][17]

Births

• 11 March (in England): Walter Mantell, scientist and politician.^[18]
• 25 June (in England): Jerningham Wakefield, politician and writer ^[19]
• 27 October (in Scotland): Donald McLean, politician.

Undated

• (in India): Charles Borlase, politician.^[20]
• Charles Brown, politician.^[21]
• Robert Graham, politician.^[21]
• (in Scotland): William Hutchison, politician.^[21]
• (in Scotland): James Mckenzie, outlaw.^[22]
• Loughlin O'Brien, politician.^[21]
• Alfred Saunders, politician.^[21]

Approximate

• (in England): Charles Heaphy, surveyor, VC.^[23]
• (in England): Mary Ann Müller, suffragist ^[24]

Deaths

• 19 June (in England): Joseph Banks, naturalist on Cook's first voyage.^[25]

See also

• List of years in New Zealand
• Timeline of New Zealand history
• History of New Zealand
• Military history of New Zealand
• Timeline of the New Zealand environment
• Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

References

1. Dictionary of Australian Biography: Lachlan Macquarie
2. Dictionary of Australian Biography Sir Thomas Brisbane
3. Parsonson, G. S. "Marsden, Samuel 1765–1838". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
4. Early European Visits to NZ
5. New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Thomas Kendall Biography
6. Binney, Judith. "Kendall, Thomas 1778?–1832". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
7. Ballara, Angela. "Hongi Hika 1772–1828". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
8. New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Hongi Hika Biography
9. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.185.
10. A Manukau Timeline
11. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.169.
12. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.237.
13. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 242
14. Oliver, Steven. "Te Rauparaha ?–1849". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
15. Tauranga History Timeline
16. Oliver, Steven. "Te Wherowhero, Potatau ?–1860". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
17. Oliver, Steven. "Te Pehi Kupe ?–1828". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
18. Sorrenson, M. P. K. "Mantell, Walter Baldock Durrant 1820 - 1895". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
19. Hall, D.O.W. (1966). "WAKEFIELD, Edward Jerningham". from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
20. No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council)
21. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
22. Marr, Cathy. "Mackenzie, James 1820? - ?". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
23. Fitzgerald, Michael. "Heaphy, Charles 1820 - 1881". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
24. Dalziel, Raewyn. "Müller, Mary Ann 1819/1820? - 1901". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
25. O'Brian, P. 1987 Joseph Banks: A Life Collins Harvill ISBN 0-00-217350-6