Leslie Massey
Australia and New Zealand have a shared history of colonisation by Britain, which began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. The British were the first to colonise Australia, marking the beginning of a gradual dispossession of Indigenous people from their land. New Zealand, on the other hand, was first settled by Polynesians from Eastern Polynesia, with archaeological evidence suggesting human emigration from Taiwan via Southeast Asia. However, both countries experienced similar patterns of European settlement, with the imposition of foreign economic and legal systems, and the introduction of infectious diseases, which led to a significant loss of life for the Indigenous populations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Colonising country | Britain |
| New Zealand's status in 1838 | Partial annexation |
| New Zealand's status in 1839 | Annexed, legally part of the New South Wales colony |
| New Zealand's status in 1840 | Separate colony, independent from Australia |
| New Zealand's status in 1841 | Separate crown colony |
| Australia's status in 1788 | Colonised by Britain |
| Australia's status in 1834 | Colony named Victoria founded |
| Australia's status in 1839 | Colony of Queensland established |
| Australia's status in 1840 | End of convict transportation to New South Wales |
| Indigenous population of New Zealand | Māori |
| Indigenous population of Australia | Aboriginal Australians |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's colonisation by Britain
Australia and New Zealand were both colonised by Britain. The colonisation of Australia by Britain began in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove, which brought around 1,300 colonists to the region. At the time, the Aboriginal population of the Sydney region was estimated to be around 3,000 people. The British settlement of Australia initially took the form of a penal colony, with convicts being accepted due to the shortage of labour. The colony was guarded by marines and troops from the British Navy, including the 73rd Regiment of Foot, which became the first line regiment to serve in Australia in 1810.
The expansion of European settlers onto Maori land and the colonial government's determination to suppress native independence led to the first war in 1845-46. The 58th Regiment of Foot, based in Australia, was dispatched to New Zealand, along with additional troops, to quell the unrest. This marked the beginning of a series of conflicts with Aboriginal tribes, with casualty rates increasing as colonists utilised mounted police, Native Police units, and more advanced weaponry.
In the 1850s, the discovery of gold fields attracted a rush of immigrants to Australia, further expanding the colonial population. By the 1860s, the volunteer corps and militia were established in some colonies, and by the early 1870s, most towns and suburbs in Australia supported a volunteer unit, often a rifle corps. The spread of sheep and cattle grazing during this period led to further conflicts with Aboriginal tribes, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland.
During the colonial period, Australia was governed by the British, with the colony accepting convicts and experiencing an influx of immigrants due to the discovery of gold fields. The expansion of European settlement onto Aboriginal land led to conflicts and a suppression of native independence. By 1901, the modern nation of Australia came into existence as a federation of former British colonies, marking the end of the colonial period and the beginning of a new chapter in Australia's history.
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New Zealand's colonisation by Britain
New Zealand and Australia were both colonised by Britain. New Zealand was first settled by Polynesians from Eastern Polynesia. However, in the period between the first European landings and the First World War, New Zealand was transformed from an exclusively Māori world into one in which Pākehā dominated numerically, politically, socially and economically.
New Zealand was initially a part of the Colony of New South Wales, which was its status when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. On 15 June 1839, the issue of new Letters Patent expanded the territory of New South Wales to include all of New Zealand. On 6 February 1840, Hobson and about forty Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Hobson declared British sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand on 21 May 1840 in two separate declarations. In the first declaration, Hobson declared sovereignty over the North Island on the basis of cession following the Treaty of Waitangi. In the English version of the treaty, Māori ceded sovereignty and received the rights and protections of being British subjects. The Māori version of the treaty refers to "kāwanatanga", which is often translated as governance or government. In the second declaration, Hobson declared British sovereignty over the South Island and Stewart Island on the basis of "first discovery" by Captain James Cook in 1769.
New Zealand became a separate colony from New South Wales in 1841, with the Charter for Erecting the Colony of New Zealand stating that the Colony of New Zealand would be established as a de jure Crown colony separate from New South Wales on 3 May 1841. The colony gained responsible government in the 1850s, and in 1852, George Grey's scheme was accepted, establishing a responsible government analogous to that in Canada. From the 1890s, the New Zealand Parliament enacted a number of progressive initiatives, including women's suffrage and old-age pensions. After becoming a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire in 1907, the country remained an enthusiastic member, contributing troops to both World Wars.
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The Treaty of Waitangi
Australia and New Zealand were both colonised by Britain. New Zealand became a separate colony from New South Wales in 1841, after being annexed in 1839. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, marking the beginning of New Zealand as a British colony.
The treaty's three articles provided for:
- The Māori signatories' acceptance of the British queen's sovereignty in their lands
- The crown's protection of Māori possessions, with the exclusive right of the queen to purchase Māori land
- Full rights of British subjects for the Māori signatories
The treaty was the immediate basis of the British annexation of New Zealand. An immediate result of the treaty was that Queen Victoria's government gained the sole right to purchase land. However, the treaty had serious shortcomings in practice. The colonial government could not afford to buy much land, and the land it did buy was resold to Europeans at a substantial profit. This led to interracial and intercultural tension and warfare in 1844-47 and the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s.
In 1975, the New Zealand Parliament passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act, establishing the Waitangi Tribunal as a permanent commission of inquiry tasked with determining the meaning and effect of the two texts of the Treaty. The Treaty is increasingly recognised as a founding document in New Zealand's developing unwritten constitution.
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The Australian Natives Association
Australia and New Zealand were both colonised by Britain. New South Wales was the mother colony for New Zealand as well as for eastern Australia. Māori were involved from the start in shaping trans-Tasman relations. In 1814, Ngāpuhi chiefs invited the first missionaries from Australia, and in 1834 they chose the first New Zealand flag so they could trade with New South Wales.
New Zealand became a British colony in 1840, with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty was drafted by Captain William Hobson, with the help of British residents and missionaries. The Treaty of Waitangi has been a source of debate and controversy since 1840 due to differences in meaning between the English and Māori-language versions. New Zealand became a separate colony from New South Wales in 1841.
The Australian Natives' Association (ANA) was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia, in April 1871. It was founded by and for the benefit of white, native-born Australians, and membership was restricted to this group. The organisation had up to 95,000 members and provided benefits to 250,000 people, including their families. The ANA's objectives were to raise funds to relieve sick members, cover funeral expenses, and relieve distressed widows and orphans.
The formation of the Australian Natives Association was a multi-stage process that came after the creation of the six Australian colonies, the discovery of gold, and the increasing number of locally born citizens. The initial idea was to form a Friendly Society to provide help in sickness and distress solely for Melbourne-born citizens. The ANA played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation in the last 20 years of the 19th century. The Association wanted to foster pride in being Australian by promoting the study of Australian literature and art in schools, campaigning for the protection of native species, establishing 26 January as 'Australia Day', and initiating a 'Made in Australia' movement.
The ANA lobbied strongly for the political union of Australia's colonies and sought to shape Australia's nationhood and identity. It was a non-partisan and non-sectarian organisation, but it supported the White Australia policy and restricted membership to men born in Australia. In the 1880s, there was discussion of forming a New Zealand branch of the ANA, but legislative and communication hurdles made this impractical. A separate organisation, the New Zealand Natives Association (NZNA), was formed in 1897. While the Australian federation was not to include New Zealand, the NZNA voted to allow Australians to become members.
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The New Zealand Constitution Act
Australia and New Zealand were both colonised by Britain. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840, with Captain William Hobson as its governor. The Treaty of Waitangi, regarded as New Zealand's founding document, was signed in 1840. It sparked controversy due to differing interpretations of the English and Māori versions of the treaty.
The New Zealand Company, established in 1839, proposed that New Zealand should have representative institutions. This proposal was in line with the findings of the Durham Report, commissioned in 1838 following rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. The company's first settlement, Wellington, had its own elected council in 1840, but it was dissolved by Lieutenant Governor William Hobson.
The Act received royal assent on 30 June 1852 and remained in force as part of New Zealand's constitution until the Constitution Act of 1986 rendered it redundant.
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Frequently asked questions
On 26 January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip led a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.
The United Kingdom. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed between representatives of the United Kingdom and various Māori chiefs on 6 February 1840. On 21 May 1840, New Zealand entered the British Empire when Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty at Kororāreka (Russell).
Polynesians from Eastern Polynesia.
