1865: Fitz Dreams of Peace
May 26, 2020
By AHNZ
On 8 April, 1865, Punch in Canterbury was first published. Like the Punch of England¹, this was a weekly political satire but set, of course, in Canterbury Province. Unlike the parent publication (lasted 150ys) the local version only made it to August of the same year.In that time plenty of good cartoons were produced however, including this one (above) from 27 May. According to the State’s description it depicts…
“…a bearded man (possibly Sir George Grey) seated in a chair, a bottle of whisky at his side, a pipe in his hand, a lion seated at his feet. From his pipe emerge clouds of smoke, each with a picture showing the different religions and races in New Zealand shaking hands and embracing”- Alexander Turnbull Library
I’m quite sure it’s actually James FitzGerald, MP and Canterbury’s first ever Superintendent. Leading up to this time, Fitz has been promoting a unification agenda with the Maoris in a year full of battles and conflict (eg Gate Pa, Hauhaus, Moutoa, Orakau.) The following month, June, Fitz will attend parliament at the new capital (Wellington) for the first time and become the Minister of Native Affairs in order to implement his peace-maker plans.
Punch, being published by people Fitz detested so much he created The Christchurch Press newspaper in order to contest them, is making fun of the lion laying down with the lamb. Numerous enemies in religion, race, and class are depicted in Fitzgerald’s smoky and boozy imagination hugging and shaking hands with one another. In his short spell as Native Affairs Minister, Fitz gave Maoris full status as citizens of the colony with same rights and privileges as British subjects and protection of British law. That is, he legislated for Article 3 of The Treaty of Waitangi; “The best thing we did,” according to Fitz.
The dreamer also tried to establish Native Provinces so that the Maoris could have their own Superintendents and police and armies etc with the same status as an Auckland or a Canterbury or an Otago. His idea was that Natives and Colonists should all have the same political constitution as one another and then there would not be conflict. This idea, and the Ministry, was soon defeated by parliament.Quite typical of Fitzgerald to take on such a huge ambition as ending the Maori Wars. He is the most ADHD New Zealander ever known to history and was constantly rotating himself through different vocations and callings which he answered with distinction if not perseverance.
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Image ref. Alexander Turnbull Library; AHNZ mod
Note: As is characteristic of Punch in Canterbury, there is doubtless a complimentary cartoon on the following page to pair with the “Visions of the night,” caption. Not being online, we can’t see the rest of this story without a trip to the archives. Probably says “Visions of the day,” and also pokes fun of Fitz (not Gray!) and would help prove I’m right about it being him not someone else.
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1 Note- There was also such a thing as Punch In Greymouth though I’ve only ever seen one cartoon from it
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