Edward Robert Tregear
Encyclopedia
Edward Robert Tregear was a New Zealand
public servant and scholar.
, England, on 1 May 1846, the son of Captain William Henry Tregear, a descendant of an old Cornish
family. Tregear was educated in private schools and trained as a civil engineer. He arrived in Auckland
in June 1863 and took a position as a surveyor. This work brought him into close contact with the Māori, and he began to study their language and culture. Poverty forced Tregear to enlist in the Auckland Engineer Volunteers. He saw action against the Māori in the Tauranga
area and was awarded the New Zealand War Medal. Between 1869 and 1873 he worked as a surveyor on the goldfields at Thames and Coromandel and on Māori lands near Tokoroa
. His investments in gold mining and saw milling ventures proved disastrous, and he lost what little money he had, setting a pattern for the rest of his life in financial matters. In 1877 he moved to Patea
, working privately until 1881 as a surveyor for roads boards. He also captained the Patea Rifle Volunteers.
His research on comparative mythology and linguistics was expressed in a controversial book The Aryan Maori (1885), in which he placed the Māori language in the ranks of the Indo-European language family and further claimed that the Māori shared an Aryan origin with the European. While this 'Aryan Māori' theory was bitterly criticised in New Zealand it received favourable attention overseas. Tregear frequently contributed articles on Māori anthropology to scholarly British journals, received fellowships of the Royal Geographical Society
and the Royal Historical Society
. Tregear was to repeat and refine his theory of the Aryan origin of Māori in many works during the succeeding two decades.
A freethinking socialist, Tregear was a personal friend of the politicians Ballance
and Reeves
. When the Liberal Party took office in 1891, he was named head of the new Bureau of Industries, later known as the Department of Labour. Working closely with Reeves as Minister, Tregear was responsible for the huge amount of progressive labour legislation passed in the 1890s. He was editor of the Journal of the Department of Labour.
In 1891 Tregear published the Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary which is regarded as his most important contribution to scholarship. In 1892 he co-founded the Polynesian Society
with Stephenson Percy Smith
, with whom he co-edited the journal of the society. He completed a substantial work, The Maori Race in 1904. Following his retirement as Secretary of Labour in 1910, he was honoured with the Imperial Service Order.
Tregear never stood for Parliament, despite Ballance's urgings. In 1913, he was elected to the Wellington City Council and became president of the militant Social Democratic Party
. However in 1914, afflicted with failing eyesight and gravely troubled and disheartened by the failure of the waterfront strike, Tregear suddenly resigned all his offices. He retired to Picton
in the South Island where he died on 28 October 1931. He was survived by his wife Bessie and their only daughter Vera.
Mount Tregear in the Southern Alps
is named after him in close proximity to peaks named after other Liberal Party
figures Notman, Ballance and Stout
.
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...
public servant and scholar.
Biography
He was born in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, England, on 1 May 1846, the son of Captain William Henry Tregear, a descendant of an old Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
family. Tregear was educated in private schools and trained as a civil engineer. He arrived in Auckland
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...
in June 1863 and took a position as a surveyor. This work brought him into close contact with the Māori, and he began to study their language and culture. Poverty forced Tregear to enlist in the Auckland Engineer Volunteers. He saw action against the Māori in the Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
area and was awarded the New Zealand War Medal. Between 1869 and 1873 he worked as a surveyor on the goldfields at Thames and Coromandel and on Māori lands near Tokoroa
Tokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
. His investments in gold mining and saw milling ventures proved disastrous, and he lost what little money he had, setting a pattern for the rest of his life in financial matters. In 1877 he moved to Patea
Patea
Patea is the third-largest town in South Taranaki, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Patea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Wanganui on State Highway 3. Hawera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east. The Patea River flows through the town from the...
, working privately until 1881 as a surveyor for roads boards. He also captained the Patea Rifle Volunteers.
His research on comparative mythology and linguistics was expressed in a controversial book The Aryan Maori (1885), in which he placed the Māori language in the ranks of the Indo-European language family and further claimed that the Māori shared an Aryan origin with the European. While this 'Aryan Māori' theory was bitterly criticised in New Zealand it received favourable attention overseas. Tregear frequently contributed articles on Māori anthropology to scholarly British journals, received fellowships of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
and the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
. Tregear was to repeat and refine his theory of the Aryan origin of Māori in many works during the succeeding two decades.
A freethinking socialist, Tregear was a personal friend of the politicians Ballance
John Ballance
John Ballance served as the 14th Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party .-Early life:...
and Reeves
Richard Reeves (New Zealand)
Richard Harman Jeffares Reeves MLC was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.He was born in County Wexford, Ireland. He was on the Canterbury Provincial Council in 1866. He represented the Grey Valley electorate in Parliament from a 1878 by-election to 1881...
. When the Liberal Party took office in 1891, he was named head of the new Bureau of Industries, later known as the Department of Labour. Working closely with Reeves as Minister, Tregear was responsible for the huge amount of progressive labour legislation passed in the 1890s. He was editor of the Journal of the Department of Labour.
In 1891 Tregear published the Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary which is regarded as his most important contribution to scholarship. In 1892 he co-founded the Polynesian Society
Polynesian Society
The Polynesian Society is a non-profit organization based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, dedicated to the scholarly study of the history, ethnography, and mythology of Oceania....
with Stephenson Percy Smith
Stephenson Percy Smith
Stephenson Percy Smith was a New Zealand ethnologist and surveyor. He founded The Polynesian Society.-Early life and career as a surveyor :...
, with whom he co-edited the journal of the society. He completed a substantial work, The Maori Race in 1904. Following his retirement as Secretary of Labour in 1910, he was honoured with the Imperial Service Order.
Tregear never stood for Parliament, despite Ballance's urgings. In 1913, he was elected to the Wellington City Council and became president of the militant Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (New Zealand)
The Social Democratic Party of New Zealand was an early left-wing political party. It existed only a short time before being amalgamated into the new Labour Party...
. However in 1914, afflicted with failing eyesight and gravely troubled and disheartened by the failure of the waterfront strike, Tregear suddenly resigned all his offices. He retired to Picton
Picton
-People:* Cesar Picton , from slave to successful businessman in England* Thomas Picton , Welsh soldier* Robert Pickton , Canadian serial killer-Animal:...
in the South Island where he died on 28 October 1931. He was survived by his wife Bessie and their only daughter Vera.
Contribution
Tregear is regarded as an architect of the advanced social reforms which drew the world's attention to New Zealand. He was a prolific writer in a range of disparate genres including poetry, satire, and children's fairy stories, besides anthropology and sociology. While his theory of an Aryan origin of the Māori has been soundly rejected, his linguistic work has proven to be more durable. "Tregear was among the country's most prominent, prolific and controversial intellectuals. Besides Polynesian studies, he produced journal and newspaper articles and public lectures on religion, philology, mythology, literature, science, economics, women, philosophy, ancient history, politics - indeed almost the entire spectrum of human history and experience" (Howe 2006).Mount Tregear in the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
is named after him in close proximity to peaks named after other Liberal Party
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
figures Notman, Ballance and Stout
Robert Stout
Sir Robert Stout, KCMG was the 13th Premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both these offices...
.