1840 is considered a watershed year in the history of New Zealand: The

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...

is signed, British sovereignty over New Zealand is proclaimed, organised European settlement begins, and

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

and

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

are both founded.

Population

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

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

—

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...

—

Sir George Gipps Sir George Gipps (23 December 1790 – 28 February 1847) was the Governor of the British colony of New South Wales for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship oversaw a tumultuous period where the rights to land were bitterly conte ...

Lieutenant-Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

—

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

William Hobson Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New Zealand. He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hobson was dispatched from London in July 1 ...

Government and law

Hobson appointed the following officers to form the first New Zealand Government; * Major Thomas Bunbury, 80th Regiment, commanding her Majesty's Troops in New Zealand, appointed us Magistrate of the Territory – 30 March 1840. *

Willoughby Shortland Commander Willoughby Shortland RN (30 September 1804 – 7 October 1869) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Secretary from 1841, after having arrived in New Zealand with Lieutenant Govern ...

, Esq, J.P... Acting Colonial Secretary and registrar of records — 7 March 1840. * Felton Mathews, Esq, J.P., Surveyor General — 1 January 1840. * John Johnson, Esq, M.D, J.P, Colonial Surgeon— 6 February 1840. * William Davies, Esq, M.D., Surgeon, Health Officer— 1 June 1840. *

William Cornwallis Symonds Captain William Cornwallis Symonds (1 August 1810 – 23 November 1841) was a British Army officer who was prominent in the early colonisation of New Zealand. Symonds was born at Lymington, Hampshire in 1810, the eldest son of William Symo ...

, Esq, Police Magistrate— 17 March 1840. * Charles Barrington Robinson, Esq, Police Magistrate— 28 March 1840. * Michael Murphy Esq, Police Magistrate— 30 March. 1810. * H.D. Smart, Lieutenant 28th Regiment, Magistrate of the Territory — 1 January 1840. * James Heady Clendon Esq, Magistrate of the Territory — 21 February 1840. * Thomas Beckham Esq, Magistrate of the Territory— 17 March 1810. * Mr William Mason, Superintendent of Public Works— 1 March 1840. * Mr Charles Logie, Colonial Storekeeper — 15 January 1840.

Events

January — June

*3 January — The ''

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

'' arrives in Port Nicholson with a survey party to prepare for the

New Zealand Company The New Zealand Company, chartered in the United Kingdom, was a company that existed in the first half of the 19th century on a business model focused on the systematic colonisation of New Zealand. The company was formed to carry out the principl ...

settlement. *22 January — The first shipload of New Zealand Company immigrants arrives in

on the ''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

'' and lands at

Petone Petone (Māori: ''Pito-one''), a large suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington, stands at the southern end of the Hutt Valley, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour. The Māori name means "end of the sand beach". Europeans first settled in Pe ...

, which they name Britannia.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 499. *29 January —

arrives in the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 486. With Hobson are the members of the Executive Council, Colonial Secretary

, Colonial Treasurer George Cooper and Attorney-General

Francis Fisher Francis Marion Bates Fisher (22 December 1877 – 24 July 1960) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament from Wellington. He was known as Rainbow Fisher for his frequent changes of political allegiance. He was a veteran of the Boer War and an in ...

and the Legislative Council comprising the Executive Council and three

Justices of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. *5 February —

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

chiefs assemble at Waitangi to discuss the terms of the

. * 6 February —

Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...

is the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi at the Bay of Islands. *19 February —

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

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 Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...

.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 4. (see

1838 Events January–March * January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London. * January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration o ...

) *1 March — Governor Hobson suffers a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

. *24 March — The first bank in New Zealand, the Union Bank, is opened in

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

. *March ** —

Jean Langlois Jean Langlois (February 16, 1824 – March 8, 1886) was a Quebec lawyer, professor and political figure. He represented Montmorency in the House of Commons of Canada as a Conservative member from 1867 to 1878. He was born in Saint-Laur ...

leaves France in the ''

Comte de Paris Count of Paris () was a title for the local magnate of the district around Paris in Carolingian times. After Hugh Capet was elected King of France in 987, the title merged into the crown and fell into disuse. However, it was later revived by the ...

'' with more colonists for Akaroa. ** — Johnny Jones sends the first settlers (as opposed to whalers or sealers) to the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

. They land from the ''Magnet'' and settle behind Cornish Head at

Waikouaiti Waikouaiti is a small town in East Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. The town is close to the coast and the mouth of the Waikouaiti River. Today, Waikouaiti is a retail trade and servicing centre for the surrounding district ...

.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 472. *6 April —

George Clarke George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736. Life The son of Sir William Clarke ...

is appointed Protector of Aborigines by Governor Hobson.New Zealand Encyclopaedia 1966: George Clarke Biography
/ref> *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. *21 May — Governor Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over New Zealand. *May ** — First

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

established at

Okiato Okiato or Old Russell is a small town in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, south of present-day Russell. It was founded in 1840 and served as New Zealand's first national capital until 1841, when the seat of government was moved to Auckland. ...

, 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. * 15 June — The ''New Zealand Advertiser and Bay of Islands Gazette'' begins publishing in

Kororāreka Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island. History and culture Māori settle ...

. The newspaper publishes its last issue on 10 December 1840. It was suppressed because of anti-government tendencies.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 388. *16 June — HMS ''Herald'', Captain Joseph Nias, arrives at

Port Underwood Te Whanganui / Port Underwood is a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edi ...

with Major Thomas Banbury to obtain signatures from southern chiefs to the Treaty of Waitangi. The final signatures are added the next day.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 457.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 149. Later in the month the ''Herald'' arrives in

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

where Banbury formally takes possession of the island in the name of

.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p.405.

July — December

*14 July — The first hotel licence in New Zealand is issued to the ''Duke of Marlborough'' in

. *July ** — The ''L’Aube'' arrives in New Zealand. Lavaud is made aware of the

. ** — Governor Hobson sends ''HMS Britomart'' under

Stanley, along with 2

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

. *10 August — ''HMS Britomart'' arrives in

. *11 August —

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

is flown over

. *13 August — William Brown and Logan Campbell take up residence on Browns Island (Motukorea).Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 45. *15 August — French settlers on the ''L’Aube'' arrive in

. *16 August — The ''Comte de Paris'' arrives in

. *15 September — The ''Anna Watson'' arrives in the

Waitematā Harbour Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and easter ...

from the

to establish a new capital for New Zealand. *18 September — The British flag is raised at the fort on

Point Britomart Point Britomart ( mi, Te Rerenga Ora Iti) was a headland in the Waitematā Harbour, in Auckland (), New Zealand. Located between Commercial Bay and Official Bay,

on the southern shore of the

marking the foundation of

.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 18. *September ** — After discovering their original site is prone to flooding, the

settlers move around the harbour to Thorndon, the site of the present

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

. *20 October — is purchased from local

Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te ...

chiefs for the

settlement. *November ** —

signs a

Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

for New Zealand to become a Crown colony separate from

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Undated

* St Peter's School, the first Catholic school in New Zealand, opened in

.Dinah Holman, ''Newmarket Lost and Found'', 2nd edition, The Bush Press of New Zealand, Auckland, 2010, p. 247. * First

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

in New Zealand is established in

William Hayes William Hayes may refer to: In politics *William Hayes (Irish politician), Irish Sinn Féin politician *William Hayes (Canadian politician) (1879–1939), member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta * William P. Hayes (1866–1940), American la ...

Births

* 11 June: Percy Smith, ethnologist and surveyor (d. 1922) * 13 September: Abner Clough, farm worker (d. 1910) * (date not known, in India):

William Fraser William Fraser may refer to: Military people *William W. Fraser (1844–1915), American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient *William Archibald Kenneth Fraser (1886–1969), British army officer *William Fraser (British Army officer) ( ...

, politician

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:1840 In New Zealand