Albertland
Encyclopedia
Albertland is an area north of Auckland
, New Zealand
five miles (8 km) North of Wellsford
and site of the last organised immigration from Britain.
settlement in New Zealand. They included farmers, carpenters, servants, butchers, joiners, cabinetmakers, millers, drapers, sawyers, clerks and many other trades.
The Albertlanders set sail for New Zealand on May 26, 1862 aboard numerous ships including the Matilda Wattenbach, Hanover and William Miles. The Matilda Wattenbach made it to Auckland first on September 8, 1862 from where it continued to sail to the Kaipara Harbour
where the new settlers set foot on the settlement of Albertland (now known as Port Albert
).
heading northward along the East Coast in a whale boat. On board the boat were two Non-Conformist Settlement Associates, a provincial Surveyor and five men rowing the boat. The group landed late that afternoon at Wade (now Silverdale
) where they stayed the night before setting off the next day on foot up the Waiwera Valley having to cross several creeks on the way. From there they set off by boat heading for the Puhoi river where there was a Maori settlement. This area of land would have been suitable for the Albertland settlement due to it covering both the West and East of the Island; however, the Maori had a claim to the water frontage of both sides of the island so landing would have been hard for the settlers. The explorers then surveyed a block just north of Helensville called the Komokoriki block. This block was so overgrown that the explorers struggled to walk through the dense bush and it would require too much work to bring it back to productive farming land. They then heard of the Oruawharo block on the Kaipara Harbour and decided to head back to Silverdale to get fresh supplies before attempting the five day trek to this block.
After surveying the majority of the Okahukura Peninsula the explorers gained information from residents who lived on the Oruawharo River
and decided to create the Albertland settlement a few miles up where there was good scrubland and bush with kauri for building, using an Auckland Provincial Council scheme which "...provided 40 acres each for a man and his wife, and 20 acres for each child between five and 18 years old – provided they paid their own fare and stayed on the land for five years, built a house, and began farming..."
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
five miles (8 km) North of Wellsford
Wellsford
Wellsford is a town in the northern North Island of New Zealand. The town is the northernmost major settlement in the Auckland Region, and is 114 kilometres northwest of Auckland City.....
and site of the last organised immigration from Britain.
Immigration plans
In 1861 William Rawson Brame, a Birmingham Baptist minister, founded the Albertland Special Settlement Association, organising non-conformist immigrants to come to New Zealand as part of the last organised BritishBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
settlement in New Zealand. They included farmers, carpenters, servants, butchers, joiners, cabinetmakers, millers, drapers, sawyers, clerks and many other trades.
The Albertlanders set sail for New Zealand on May 26, 1862 aboard numerous ships including the Matilda Wattenbach, Hanover and William Miles. The Matilda Wattenbach made it to Auckland first on September 8, 1862 from where it continued to sail to the Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
where the new settlers set foot on the settlement of Albertland (now known as Port Albert
Port Albert, New Zealand
Port Albert is situated on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour approximately 8 kilometres west of Wellsford, and was the last major European settlement in New Zealand. It was initially called Albertland...
).
Locating Albertland
On January 21, 1862 a party set out from AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
heading northward along the East Coast in a whale boat. On board the boat were two Non-Conformist Settlement Associates, a provincial Surveyor and five men rowing the boat. The group landed late that afternoon at Wade (now Silverdale
Silverdale, New Zealand
Silverdale is a suburb in south-eastern Hamilton in New Zealand.-History:It was named Silverdale after the original farm on the land, which itself was named after the shining silver poplar leaves.-Features of Silverdale:...
) where they stayed the night before setting off the next day on foot up the Waiwera Valley having to cross several creeks on the way. From there they set off by boat heading for the Puhoi river where there was a Maori settlement. This area of land would have been suitable for the Albertland settlement due to it covering both the West and East of the Island; however, the Maori had a claim to the water frontage of both sides of the island so landing would have been hard for the settlers. The explorers then surveyed a block just north of Helensville called the Komokoriki block. This block was so overgrown that the explorers struggled to walk through the dense bush and it would require too much work to bring it back to productive farming land. They then heard of the Oruawharo block on the Kaipara Harbour and decided to head back to Silverdale to get fresh supplies before attempting the five day trek to this block.
After surveying the majority of the Okahukura Peninsula the explorers gained information from residents who lived on the Oruawharo River
Oruawharo River
The Oruawharo River is a river in New Zealand. It flows westward into the Kaipara Harbour west of Wellsford.-References:...
and decided to create the Albertland settlement a few miles up where there was good scrubland and bush with kauri for building, using an Auckland Provincial Council scheme which "...provided 40 acres each for a man and his wife, and 20 acres for each child between five and 18 years old – provided they paid their own fare and stayed on the land for five years, built a house, and began farming..."
Outcome
A sign at the current Port Albert concludes:- "More immigrant ships followed, but isolation and difficulties of access hindered progress and the original plans for a township at Port Albert were thwarted".