Diversity Of Different Settler Groups example essay topic

Groups of people migrated to New Zealand (NZ) from 1840-1900 for different reasons. It could be argued that these groups lacked diversity in that they were mainly comprised of British immigrants. However, there was in fact diversity to a large extent, as, while there was an Imperial British identity, many differences could in fact be found within the British people, with Scottish, Irish and Welsh remaining outside of mainstream English society. This diversity was reflected in the different settlements and population growth. The majority of settlers who came to NZ during the period 1840-1900 were British. These settlers were largely pushed to NZ by the poor living conditions they faced living in Britain.

The Industrial Revolution taking place during the period meant that Britain was overcrowded, unsanitary in the cities and had high unemployment and crime rates. Propaganda published by the NZ provincial and central governments that downplayed racial strains and land issues, had an even greater effect because of the poor conditions in Britain. All of these things succeeded in making NZ appear all the more desirable to British settlers. Organized immigration schemes such as that set up by Edward Wakefield and the NZ company also procured more settlers. While there was no rush on land orders when the company first put their sections up for sale in 1839, the company was largely responsible for populating six of NZ's major settlements, bringing a total of nearly 10,000 people.

Other organized immigration schemes such as that of the provinces from 1850-60 and Vogel's in the 1870's were also reasons for immigration. From 1856, all provinces were responsible for organizing immigration. Their offers of assisted passages and land to lease or purchase, as offered by Otago and Canterbury, were often the main reasons for migration. When Vogel made himself Minister of Immigration, he introduced free passages for approved immigrants.

By the end of the 1870's, 140,000 people had arrived, 100,000 of whom were assisted or nominated. Both Wakefield and Vogel recognized the essential role of women in a new society, and therefore targeted them in their immigration schemes. Especially after the influx of gold miners, who were predominantly male, arrived. Gold proved one of the largest pull factors causing people to migrate to Z as part of unorganized immigrant groups. In May 1861, gold was found in vast quantities in Otago. Reports of this find spread, and in the hope of a repeat of the Californian gold rushes, 8000 people had arrived from Victoria alone by the end of the year.

Otago, the West Coast, Auckland and Thames also experienced population booms as numerous settlers arrived hoping to strike gold. This sudden population growth was not experienced by other settlements such as Palmerston North, where gold was not found. While it can be argued that immigrant groups, settlements and population growth lacked diversity because the majority of immigrants were British, NZ society did become multicultural from 1840-1900. Even the British migrants displayed diversity to a degree. This is evident by the fact that the British group could be broken down into Scottish, Irish, welsh and English. Their differences were highlighted by their different settlement areas and patterns.

They also displayed diversity in their religious orientation. Irish Catholic outnumbered Scottish Presbyterians, and were confined to Auckland and Wellington regions. During the assisted immigration drives, the Irish also used the chain migration scheme and largely settled in Wellington. In response to the gold rushes of the period, large numbers of Chinese gold miners migrated to NZ. Unlike other groups, the Chinese did not generally intend to settle in NZ, but make their fortunes and then return to China. Many had their bodies sent back to China after their death in NZ.

Anti-Chinese prejudice was strong, and Pakeha miners treated them cruelly. In 1871, the government set up an inquiry into allegations that the Chinese were "dirty, diseased, corrupt and immoral". The allegations were found to be untrue, nut the Pakeha miners remained unhappy. Chinese settlement was discouraged with the introduction of a poll tax of 100 pounds in 1881. Like many other settler groups, soldiers were mainly British. However, they, as a group, contributed to the overall diversity of the immigrants in that they were entirely male, they were paid to come here, and it was likely that loyalty to the British Empire was strong.

The Empire's gift of confiscated lands to these settlers resulted in their concentrated settlement in Te Awamutu and Hamilton. Their behavior in these settlements contrasted with that of other settlers in that the were used to a strict, regimented way of life, and so continued with this after service, contrasting featly with the often raucous behavior of traders and sealers. Another immigrant group was that of the Scandinavians, Dalmatians and Nova Scotia's. This group was brought over under Vogel's organised immigrant schemes, and were seen as the "wrong sort" of settler by the British.

The Otago Times went so far as to label them "certified scum", highlighting how different to themselves the writer felt this immigrant group was. Furthermore, discriminatory, exclus ory acts of parliament such as the Undesirable Immigrants Bill of 1894 and the Asiatic Restriction Act of 1890, emphasized the diversity of different settler groups. This in turn forced them to settle in different areas to other groups, generally confining people of their origin to one particular settlement. These acts also reduced population growth. Numerous push factors, organized immigration schemes, the construction of a NZ image and the lure of gold were all contributing factors in bringing settlers to NZ from 1840-1900. These settlers were extremely diverse, in that they came from different countries such as the Chinese and Scandinavian's, they were of different backgrounds, such as military and mining settlers, and they settled in different areas at different rates.