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Immigration to New Zealand
The English — Where from?
Regional origins of English migrants (%)
|
London
|
South-east
|
South-west
|
Lancashire
|
UK Census 1871
|
15.5
|
10.6
|
8.3
|
12.4
|
�
|
1840–52
|
14.9
|
21.1
|
23
|
5.3
|
-
New Zealand Company 1839–50
|
25.9
|
20.8
|
26.4
|
3.4
|
|
20.1
|
17.2
|
21.8
|
�
|
1853–70
|
17.3
|
12.7
|
16.2
|
8.6
|
|
7.8
|
8.5
|
36.8
|
9.4
|
1871–80
|
15.8
|
15.1
|
18.7
|
4.7
|
1881–1914
|
18.8
|
12.9
|
12.2
|
11.6
|
The table and graph suggest:
-
London was an important birth-place for immigrants to New Zealand,
but no more than its representation in England as a whole.
-
The 'home counties' of the South-east sent a large number of people
to New Zealand, especially in the 1840s. Kent appears to have been
a strongly 'New Zealand-prone' county.
-
The counties of the South-west, especially Cornwall, were strongly
over-represented among the immigrants. There was a spectacular
inflow of people from this area among the miners reflecting the
strong tradition of tin-mining in Cornwall and the decline of that
industry from the 1840s. But the numbers from the South-west were
consistently high until 1880 with over twice as many likely to
migrate to New Zealand as their proportion of the population in
England.
-
The more industrial areas of the North-west, including Lancashire,
were not well represented among immigrants to New Zealand until the
end of the 19th century.
-
If we add the Cornish immigrants to those from Ireland and
Scotland, it is evident that the Celtic fringe of Great Britain in
fact comprised a majority of New Zealand's founding British
immigrants.
Families seated on their luggage awaiting embarkation
(either to Australia or New Zealand) at the wharfside. 'Embarking for the land
of gold in hope. Taking leave of old England'. By E. Noyce c1855.
Alexander
Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
Reference: E-079-002
Further information and copies of this image may be obtained from the
Library through its 'Timeframes' website,
http://timeframes.natlib.govt.nz
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library
of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use
of this image.
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