New Zealand Company formed in London in 1839 had sent a survey party aboard the 'Tory' to purchase land for colonisation

Settlers from the UK started arriving aboard the 'Cuba' and other ships from 1840s onwards

During 1840-52, the largest contributing area of immigrants from England was the south-east and London

Depression in Cornwall in 1840s

South-west England, including Cornwall, experienced a depression following a slump in price of mined tin

Many Cornish miners relocated

Many Cornish miners moved to the coal mines in northern England or to the Americas

Six ships brought Plymouth Company & NZ Company settlers to New Plymouth between 1840 - 1843

1,012 passengers with 89% in steerage (fares paid by company) of which 58% from Cornwall & Devon

Economy in Cornwall worsened in 1860s

Situation worsened with arrival of tin, lead & copper from Central & South America, & a slump in agriculture

NZ needed more farm labourers

By 1860s In NZ there was a growing need to increase number of farm labourers. Higher wages in NZ seen as an attraction.

NZ Company agents recruited emigrants

Agents advertised assisted passage to attract emigrants, including farm labourers & miners

Cornish emigrants also recruited to assist with the building of 2.4km Lyttelton Rail Tunnel

Initially called the Moorhouse Tunnel, construction started in 1860 & it opened on 9 Dec 1867

Nearest port to Cornwall at Plymouth

Most immigrant ships with Cornish passengers departed from Plymouth, although some departed from Bristol & Liverpool

Immigration regulations for passage to Canterbury, 1861

Attraction of Canterbury farming & Otago goldrush

Many journeyed from Cornwall to Canterbury to Otago during 1860s Gold Rush

West Coast goldfields

From the Otago goldfields many went on to the West Coast in the 1860s

NZ Immigration Act, 20 October 1868

An outline of the principle clauses in the Immigration Act & the hardships in England amongst labourers and mechanics

Video: Cornish museum director explains why Cornwall sent such a large number of emigrants to NZ between 1840 and 1880

Menadue is located inland from Tintagel Castle

Tintagel Castle is the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur

William Tucker set sail on the 'Accrington', 18 June 1863

William Tucker sailed from Plymouth in Devon, UK. He was one of 12 saloon passengers & 310 assisted immigrants.

'Accrington' sailed to NZ around Cape Horn

Commanded by Captain Christie, the ship was of 1900 tons and had a flush deck of 280 feet in length

During 75 days at sea - 12 deaths and 5 births

A distilling apparatus provided fresh water during the journey

'Accrington' arrived on 5 Sept 1863 in Lyttelton, Christchurch

Sailed with brother William Henry (aged 23) who was a farm labourer. They left Plymouth port on 1 Oct 1869.

Commandered by Captain C. H. Renaut, the ship was of 700 tons & was chartered by the Shaw-Savill Co.

'Celaeno' arrived on 16 Jan 1870 at Lyttelton.

On the return journey, ships like 'Celaeno' were used to carry grain and other freight

During 1870s largest contributors of English settlers were from south-west (Cornwall), south-east, & southern midlands

Land initially occupied by iwi

Te Rapuwai, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngāti Wairaki & Ngāti Tūatakōkiri

Iwi hunted moa & other native birds & extracted pounamu (greenstone)

Fish, birds, rats, plants and their fruits, stems and roots were harvested

Forests cleared with fire & high country became covered in tussock grasslands and dry scrub

Māori oral tradition tells of Te Rapuwai and Waitaha starting the fires

First farms were in Queenstown & Arrowtown, 1830s

William Rees & Nicholas von Tunzelmann were first Europeans to apply for farmland after arriving in 1829

Cattle farming introduced in 1839

First cattle arrived at Akaroa - 50 head including 2 bulls were purchased from Hunter River in NSW by William Rhodes

Settlers set up large sheep farms on leasehold land on the plains & hill country

Sheep imported from Australia (1851, 1852, 1861, 1862) & additional flocks herded from Wairau & Nelson in 1850s

Farm, game and domestic animals introduced. Some animals became pests (rabbits, pigs, goats, rats & mice)

The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society was founded in 1864 and introduced game, fish & birds for sport

Freehold farming occurred on the plains from 1870s. Crop farming began on small farms.

Wheat, peas, potatoes & fodder crops were grown.

In the high country, sheep grazing on leased land continued

Arrowtown is sited along the Arrow River in Otago

Gold found in 1862

Jack Tewa, a shearer for Rees, found gold in the Arrow River in 1862

Gold also found in 1862 by William (Bill) Fox, & team of Thomas Low & John MacGregor

Fox took credit for the 'first' discovery and the new “town” was first called Fox’s.

Article on who found the gold first, stating it was Jack Tewa

Over 1,100 prospectors worked at Arrow Gorge, & over 500 worked at Eight Mile Creek & Twelve Mile Creek (named Macetown)

In November 1862 discoveries were made at Arthurs Point on the Shotover River, at Skippers and beyond

Manual of the Otago goldfields for new prospectors

Buildings erected in Arrowtown

Cottages, shops & a school were built along Buckingham Street

Gold found on West Coast in 1864

Many gold miners in Arrowtown packed up to follow the rush

Arrowtown statistics, 1865

Statistics on mining and agriculture and population in Arrowtown in 1865

Chinese invited by Otago Provincial Government

To restore its income taxes on gold, the Otago Provincial Government invited the Chinese to work on the goldfields

Article on gold mines & attracting Chinese as miners

Chinese miners lived on edge of the town

They lived in huts in gullies on the banks of Bush Creek at the top end of Arrowtown's Buckingham Street

Some miners' huts were near their claim

The huts were initially communal huts, with usually between two and six men to a house

Chinese miners number c.200 (1866)

The Chinese miners (mainly Cantonese) worked mostly at goldmines, & some as market gardeners, builders & other trades

Many returned home after earning c.£100 (equivalent of 20 years wages in China)

Many were from the Guangzhou delta which was experiencing hardship, and they worked to support their families back home

Town's layout surveyed in June 1867

Chinese miners who died were buried in graves just outside the cemetery or in a Chinese section

Article on the gold mines & agricultural operations

1874 Census: 3564 Chinese in Otago

First arrival of a Chinese woman in NZ was in 1873. By 1881, nine of 5004 Chinese were women.

Over the decades, Arrowtown was developed as a farming district

Farming included cattle, sheep & agricultural crops

Governor Grey had declared war on Waikato iwi on 31 July 1863

The 3rd Waikato Militia were formed & their last battle fought at Orakau from 30 March - 2 April 1864

British confiscated 1.2m acres of Waikato land & c.150,000 acres was subdivided for military settlements

225,000 acres became native reserves, 50,000 acres returned to iwi & the remainder sold to pay for the war

Cambridge's location chosen on 13 July 1864 & was named after Duke of Cambridge - Commander in Chief of British Army

Location as military outpost chosen as was closest point to the Confiscation (Aukati) Line accessible by river transport

700 soldiers were given 50 acres of farmland & a town acre

Of the 700 men, about 18% had been labourers, 13% miners, 10% in the building trade and 11% in agriculture

Surveyors at work dividing allotments, Nov 1864

Cottages were being built and gardens planted by 1865

Description of the inhabitants of Cambridge ranging from the 'well-to-do' to those struggling (May 1866)

By 1867 population was 200 men, women & children

As the Cambridge district was mainly swamp, some owners walked away or sold their land, whilst others stayed to farm it

With the passing of Armed Constabulary Act on 10 October 1867, the Waikato Militia had been disbanded

Lt-Col William Moule formed two Armed Constabulary divisions and commanded No. 4 division

No. 5 division was commanded by Major von Tempsky at Alexandra (Pirongia). Married men not eligible to enlist.

Due to presence of Te Kooti, number of constabulary increased to 200 & redoubts built to shelter people overnight

Redoubts were built at Pukekura, Paekuku, Roto-o-Rangi, & Punui River's ford, which were used until 1875 - 1876

Tucker joined the Armed Constabulary

In 1872, Tucker bought 100 acres at Pukerimu

Pukerimu is outside the Cambridge West town belt and he called his farm 'Pengover'.

William Tucker sent £7 to Mary Ann Williams to travel from Canterbury to Auckland in 1874

Whether they knew each other in Cornwall or first met after arriving in the Canterbury - Otago region is not known

Mary Ann journeyed from Christchurch to join William

They were married at the St Mathew's Church in Auckland on 13 October 1874

After the wedding, the couple arrived in Cambridge

They travelled in a cart drawn by bullocks (possibly similar to the one pictured)

Map of Cambridge East, circa 1878

In Oct 1878, William Tucker was a Class Steward for the thoroughbred horses at the Cambridge Agricultural Show

Show was held by the Cambridge Farmers' Club

In Dec 1878, William Tucker elected to first Cambridge West School Committee to set up new school

Earlier in 1878, community had petitioned the Board of Education to establish a day school & it opened on 12 Oct 1880

In July 1879, William Tucker appointed as Pukekura Highway Board's Fence-Viewer

In Jan 1881, William Tucker was elected as Pukekura Highway Board Trustee

In 1882, Tucker family won prizes for chrysanthemums & red carrots during competitions held during ploughing match

In 1885, William Tucker on committee representing Pukekura residents to investigate proposal for new cheese factory

In May 1895, the Cambridge West Amateur Athletic Sports was held at the Tucker farm

In 1896, William Tucker won a prize for his carrots at the Waikato Farmers' Club's Grain and Root Show

In Nov 1896 William took his first holiday in 25 years when the Tuckers went to Canterbury

They visited Mary Ann’s brother William

In 1898, Tucker family won prizes for produce and baking at the Waikato Farmers' Club's Root Show

William won a prize for his peas & daughters Lizzie and Ivy for their baking and Mary (misspelt May) for preserved fruit

In 1900, William Tucker elected as Cambridge West School Chairperson

All seven of the Tuckers' children attended the school

Tucker's eldest son, William George, helped to build the Cambridge Tower using Darkie the horse during 1902/03

William married May McCormack in 1904 and died in May 1944

Second son, Harry Salter, was born in 1884 and served in World War One

Harry was wounded & gassed & had several operations to remove shrapnel. He helped farm Pengover until his death in 1951.

Third son, Edward John (Jack), was born in 1886 & became rugby representative for Waikato at age 17

Jack was keen on sport from an early age attending athletic events. He helped farm Pengover until his death in 1963.

Cornish farming skills

Skills included reclamation of waste land, farm management, & the use & adaptation of machinery

Cornish dairymaids' expertise

Milk maids contributed their experience to the milk, butter & cheesemaking which became a major industry for the colony

Cornish miners' skills

Shared knowledge of excavating mines & of mechanical power for the working of pumps and raising of ore

Traditional food - Cornish pasties

Cornish pasty recipe

Temperance movement supported by many Cornish emigrants

Rev Edmund Taylor who emigrated from Cornwall in 1882 was president of the Prohibition League

Cornish were strong adherents to Wesleyan Methodism

By 1851 Cornwall was the only county outside of North Wales where attendees at Methodist chapels were in the majority

Cornish pottery

Cornishware

Blue colour was chosen by Derbyshire manufacturer as it reminded him of the sky & sea in Cornwall

Article on Cornish customs