The Taranaki refugees 1860

Abstract

This thesis investigates a previously unexplored aspect of the Taranaki wars by examining the circumstances surrounding the evacuation of refugees to Nelson, from New Plymouth, in 1860. Most of the data has been gained from official sources, although personal diaries and letters and contemporary newspapers have also been used. Because of the absence of a precedent in New Zealand history, no analytical model has been used in this research. It is argued that when war broke out, the provincial authorities had little support in the community to force the removal of women and children, and that, for a time, the military authorities were also uninterested in evacuating the non-combatants. The management and distribution of donations given to the refugees is assessed, as well as the response to their plight, by other provinces, and the effect parochialism might have had on the aid they gave. Attention has been given to the different refugee experiences in Nelson and how they coped with their situation. The General Government's method in determining if, and how, compensation should be awarded is examined, as is their disbursement of the funds. This was the first, and last time, that half the civilian population of a New Zealand province had been evacuated during a time of crisis. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the refugee experience, and their responses to their evacuation and eventual return to Taranaki to rebuild their homes and livelihoods once fighting had ceased.