1840 in New Zealand

← 1839 1838 1837 1840 in New Zealand → 1841 1842 1843
Decades:	1820s 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s
See also:	Other events of 1840 Timeline of New Zealand history

1840 is considered a watershed year in the history of New Zealand: The Treaty of Waitangi is signed, British sovereignty over New Zealand is proclaimed, organised European settlement begins, and Auckland and Wellington are both founded.

Population

The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1840 is 80,000 Māori and 2,050 non-Māori.^[1]

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State — Queen Victoria
• Governor of New South Wales — Sir George Gipps
• Lieutenant-Governor — Captain William Hobson

Events

January — June

• 3 January — The Cuba arrives in Port Nicholson with a survey party to prepare for the New Zealand Company settlement.^[2]
• 22 January — The first shipload of New Zealand Company immigrants arrives in Wellington on the Aurora and lands at Petone, which they name Britannia.^[3]
• 29 January — Lieutenant-Governor Captain William Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands.^[4] With Hobson are the members of the Executive Council, Colonial Secretary Willoughby Shortland, Colonial Treasurer George Cooper and Attorney-General Francis Fisher and the Legislative Council comprising the Executive Council and three Justices of the Peace.
• 5 February — Māori chiefs assemble at Waitangi to discuss the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.^[4]
• 6 February — Hone Heke is the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi at the Bay of Islands.^[4]
• 19 February — French settlers under the command of Captain C. Lavaud, unaware of the Treaty of Waitangi, depart France in the L’Aube on their way to Akaroa.^[5] (see 1838)
• 1 March — Governor Hobson suffers a stroke.
• 24 March — The first bank in New Zealand, the Union Bank, is opened in Britannia.
• March
  • — Jean Langlois leaves France in the Comte de Paris with more colonists for Akaroa.^[5]
  • — Johnny Jones sends the first settlers (as opposed to whalers or sealers) to the South Island. They land from the Magnet and settle behind Cornish Head at Waikouaiti.^[6]
• 6 April — George Clarke is appointed Protector of Aborigines by Governor Hobson.^[7]
• 18 April — The New Zealand Gazette and Britannia Spectator prints its second issue in Britannia, becoming the first newspaper published in New Zealand. The first issue was printed in England the previous year. The paper publishes weekly, changing its name to The New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator a few months later.^[8]
• 21 May — Governor Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over New Zealand.
• May
  • — First capital established at Okiato, which was at the time named Russell.
  • — Reverend James Watkin, sent by Johnny Jones, arrives at Waikouaiti and starts the first mission in the South Island.^[6]
• 15 June — The New Zealand Advertiser and Bay of Islands Gazette begins publishing in Kororareka. The newspaper publishes its last issue on 10 December 1840.^[9] It was suppressed because of anti-government tendencies.^[10]
• 16 June — HMS Herald, Captain Joseph Nias, arrives at Port Underwood with Major Thomas Banbury to obtain signatures from southern chiefs to the Treaty of Waitangi. The final signatures are added the next day.^[11][12] Later in the month the Herald arrives in Stewart Island where Banbury formally takes possession of the island in the name of Queen Victoria.^[13]

July — December

• 14 July — The first hotel licence in New Zealand is issued to the Duke of Marlborough in Kororareka.^[10]
• July
  • — The L’Aube arrives in New Zealand. Lavaud is made aware of the Treaty of Waitangi.^[5]
  • — Governor Hobson sends HMS Britomart under Captain Stanley, along with 2 British magistrates to Akaroa.^[5]
• 10 August — HMS Britomart arrives in Akaroa.^[5]
• 11 August — Union Jack is flown over Akaroa.^[5]
• 13 August — William Brown and Logan Campbell take up residence on Browns Island (Motukorea).^[14]
• 15 August — French settlers on the L’Aube arrive in Akaroa.^[5]
• 16 August — The Comte de Paris arrives in Akaroa.^[5]
• 15 September — The Anna Watson arrives in the Waitemata Harbour from the Bay of Islands to establish a new capital for New Zealand.^[15]
• 18 September — The British flag is raised at the fort on Point Britomart on the southern shore of the Waitemata Harbour marking the foundation of Auckland.^[16]
• September
  • — After discovering their original site is prone to flooding, the Wellington settlers move around the harbour to Thorndon, the site of the present city.^[3]
• 20 October — 3,000 acres (12 km²) is purchased from local Ngāti Whātua chiefs for the Auckland settlement.^[16]
• November
  • — Queen Victoria signs a Royal charter for New Zealand to become a Crown colony separate from New South Wales.

Undated

• St Peter's School, the first Catholic school in New Zealand, opened in Kororareka.^[17]
• First post office in New Zealand is established in Kororareka by William Hayes.^[10]

Births

• 11 June: Percy Smith, ethnologist and surveyor (d. 1922)
• 13 September: Abner Clough, farm worker (d. 1910)

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. Statistics New Zealand has collated estimates from a number of sources (extrapolating where necessary) at "Long-term data series". Archived from the original on 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-14., in particular "A1.1 Total population.xls". Archived from the original (Excel) on 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
2. Today in History | NZHistory
3. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 499.
4. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 486.
5. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 4.
6. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 472.
7. New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: George Clarke Biography
8. "New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
9. "Chapter 2: Early Statistical Sources — 19th Century" (PDF). Statistical Publications 1840–2000. Statistics New Zealand. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2007.
10. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 388.
11. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 457.
12. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 149.
13. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.405.
14. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 45.
15. "History — Auckland City". The Viaduct. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
16. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 18.
17. Dinah Holman, Newmarket Lost and Found, 2nd edition, The Bush Press of New Zealand, Auckland, 2010, p. 247.

External links

Media related to 1840 in New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons