Chapter 7
Advancement In Many Directions

In June 1814 Thos. Kendall and William Hall came to the Bay of Islands, and six months later Marsden arrived and preached the first Christian sermon in New Zealand on Christmas Day. His text was “Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy”, and he founded the first mission station at Rangihoua, and in 1819 the second mission station at Keri Keri. In 1820 Kendall raised the Maori language to the stage of writing and a grammar. In 1822 the Wesleyans established a mission station at Whangaroa. In 1823 Marsden brought the Rev. Henry Williams to New Zealand. In 1841 Selwyn arrived.

The first Government land sale took place in Auckland in April 1841, when town lots averaged £595 per acre, suburban sections £45 per acre, farm lands £3 per acre. An allotment in Lower Albert Street was raffled at £5 per foot frontage. St. Paul' Church was being built to accommodate 600 worshippers.

In 1843 the first Agricultural and Pastoral Show was held, and in the same year the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Society was established. In 1844 crops in Auckland were Wheat 562 acres, Oats 54, Barley 185, Maize 23, Potatoes 97. Live stock numbered 119 horses, 768 cattle, 1,100 sheep, and 175 goats. In 1848 a shipment from Sydney brought 345 cattle and 450 sheep.

In 1848, 300 Maoris were engaged in road–making. In 1849 there were 900 inhabited buildings in Auckland, of which 17 were buiit of stone, 28 of brick, 814 of timber, and 40 of raupo.

In 1849 the population of the “pensioner villages” was: One–hunga 260 people, Otahuhu 300, Howick 775, Panmure 334.

page 12

By 1850 there were 8,083 acres of cultivated land within 14 miles of Auckland City, and livestock had increased to 725 horses, 6,800 cattle and 3,280 sheep. Importation of livestock from Australia was very considerable. At this period fat bullocks made about £10 10s., cows £8 8s., yearlings £4, draft horses £45, saddle horses £44. Losses on the voyage from Australia were heavy. Crops were good, and pasture excellent — 100 acres in Tamaki had carried 100 cattle throughout the year. At this time (1850) native grown and native milled flour was selling at 13s. per 100 lb. or only Is. less than best Tasmanian. There was then a considerable business between New Zealand and Tasmania; indeed Hobart potatoes and Hobart palings (of split eucalyptus) dominated the Auckland markets.

Meanwhile exports had been increasing. In 1852 they consisted of flax £1,050, wool £1,880, kauri gum £825, wheat £1,370, flour £4,030, oats £548, posts £1,610, onions £1,270, potatoes £1,460, cheese £348, butter £110.

In 1859 The New Zealander advised its readers to go to Remuera to see the farms where only four years ago all was scrub and fern, and stated that it was not twenty years since folk lost their way in the bush close to St. Paul' Church, and it was a hard day' journey to Onehunga and Otahuhu, but within the last three or four years a commencement had been made to clear and cultivate the Papakura plains. By 1861 the livestock in Auckland had increased to 5,620 horses, 36,482 cattle, 67,800 sheep, 12,600 pigs, and 82,860 poultry.