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AN IDENTITY FOR NEW ZEALAND?
What makes New Zealanders unique – how do they see themselves and how do others see them?
This book by John Collinge traces early British settlement of New Zealand through the eyes of ordinary settlers at the outset and in the context of the forces and circumstances in Britain which caused their emigration. It deals with their backgrounds in Britain, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, their contributions upon arrival and whether their legacies and characteristics have endured – with an eye to the search for a separate New Zealand identity today.
It is a factual and perceptive account of the reasons in Britain for emigration and why the settlers chose New Zealand. It is written from the perspectives of both gentry and working class – the descendants of whom subsequently married in New Zealand. It covers those who brought in farms, built business based upon rural produce, provided infrastructure and rural services, marketed its products, protected its settlers, recreated Britain and connected with Maori – the real backbone of New Zealand. The perspective is fresh and the material new.
New Zealand's separate identity is elusive – especially given its similarities with both Britain and Australia. It is however important in that it impacts upon many fundamental issues such as national aspirations, who is to be Head of State, the make-up of the flag, and so on.
