1807 in New Zealand

There is a new sealing rush to the Bounty and Auckland Islands. Sealing also continues at Bass Strait and the Antipodes Islands. Foveaux Strait is a frequent stop for these sealing ships. Whaling continues off the east coast of the North Island. Ships are now visitng the Bay of Islands on a reasonably regular basis. The first reports about the poor behaviour of visitng ship’s crew are sent to the Church Missionary Society in London.Salmond, Anne. Between Worlds. 1997. Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd. ISBN 0 670 87787 5.]

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State – King George III.
*Governor of New South Wales – William Bligh

Events

*10 February - Former Governor Philip Gidley King leaves New South Wales. [http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogI-K.html#king2 Dictionary of Australian Biography: Philip Gidley King] ]
*February – Samuel Marsden is at last able to return to England where he intends to recruit members of the Church Missionary Society for a proposed mission in New Zealand. [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=1M16 Dictionary of New Zealand Biography: Samuel Marsden] ]
*March – The "Ferret" calls at the Bay of Islands returning Te Mahanga from his trip to England.
*30 March – 11 April – The "Elizabeth", Captain William Stewart, calls at the Bay of Islands. On board is medical missionary George Warner who is horrified by the behaviour of the whaling crews and reports this to the Church Missionary Society.
*17 April – The "Richard and Mary", Captain Leikins arrives in England with (Maa-)Tara, son of Te Pahi, aboard. He meets Sir Joseph Banks.
*April – Governor Bligh issues a proclamation that South Sea Islanders (including Maori) are not to be taken to England and £20 bond is to be deposited for any that are brought into Port Jackson. This is ignored by most ship’s captains.
** – The "Albion", Captain Cuthbert Robertson, visits the Bay of Islands after whaling off the coast. Ruatara is paid and leaves the ship.
** – Catherine Hagerty, from the "Venus" (see 1806), dies at the Bay of Islands. [http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/venus/venus1.html Mutiny Aboard the Venus] ]
*Late September/October – The "Santa Anna", Captain William Moody, calls at the Bay of Islands. Ruatara joins the ship, still hoping to be able to travel to England to see King George III. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/R/Ruatara/Ruatara/en New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Ruatara Biography] ]
*October – The "General Wellesley", Captain David Dalrymple, arrives in the Bay of Islands. George Bruce and his wife Te Atahoe (daughter of Te Pahi) go on board but are not returned to shore. The "General Wellesley" then heads for Penang via Fiji. After numerous deprivations George Bruce and Te Atahoe (aka Mary) are finally returned to Port Jackson in January 1810 where Mary died shortly after.
*November – The "Santa Anna" drops a sealing gang, including Ruatara, at the Bounty Islands.

Undated

*Either this year or 1808 Charlotte Badger, from the "Venus", is presumed to have left New Zealand, after at least twice refusing passage to Port Jackson. A woman fitting her description is sighted in Tonga nearly 10 years later. [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=1B1 Dictionary of New Zealand Biography: Charlotte Badger] ]
*Captain Abraham Bristow returns to the Auckland Islands on the "Sarah" and formally claims them in the name of King George III. He also releases pigs on the islands.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.18.]
*Either this year or early 1808, Ngā Puhi are defeated at the battle of Moremonui at Maunganui Bluff. Although armed with a few muskets the Ngā Puhi are ambushed by Murupaenga, leader of Ngāti Whātua, who successfully takes advantage of the time taken to reload the muskets. The fighting chief of Ngā Puhi, Pokaia, is killed as are 2 of Hongi Hika’s brothers. After this Hongi becomes the war leader of Ngā Puhi. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/H/HongiHika/HongiHika/en New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: Hongi Hika Biography] ] [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=1H32 Dictionary of New Zealand Biography: Hongi Hika] ]

Births

Deaths

References

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1807 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1807