1840: Wellington Anniversary
January 23, 2019
By AHNZ
On 22 January, 1840, Aurora sailed into Wellington two weeks before the Treaty was signed. First party of settlers of the New Zealand Company (Mark II).
They had raced around the world seeking to defeat William Hobson and Willoughby Shortland and put down roots in New Zealand first. In other words, to beat the Crown! And they had done it.
Only 7 days later, January 29th, do the statists arrive in the Bay of Islands. Lieutenant-Governor Hobson and his merry bureaucrats hastily cobble together some judicial bullshit to create a New Zealand Government of themselves much to the dismay of the resident Maoris and Missionaries. This flexing of paper and uniformed power included ‘The Treaty of Waitangi’.
Not until June did Willoughby Shortland draw the short straw by being sent to confront the Port Nicholson Settlers to their face. He informed them that he and Hobson wore the pants around here now, dissolving their Settlers’ Council. History does not record that he was peppered with rotten tomatoes but our free (anarchist?) settler friends were very unwelcoming and resentful toward these posturing clowns.
Sadly, their toehold established, this little government would grow and grow. Eventually, of course, the seat of government would be plunged like a dagger into the heart of the old free peoples’ territory. 
But happy Wellington Anniversary. It was good while it lasted.
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Image ref. Archives NZ
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