John Guard
Encyclopedia
John 'Jacky' Guard was an English convict sent to Australia who was one of the first European settlers in the South Island
of New Zealand, working as a whaler
and trader.
in 1791 or 1792. On 17 March 1813 at age 21, the stonecutter was convicted of stealing a quilt and sentenced to transportation and five years hard labour. At the end of his sentence, he worked as a sealer
, and after five or six years had his own boat and crew.
. His whaling station, established at Te Awaiti on the Arapawa Island
shore of Tory Channel
in 1827, was the first permanent settlement in the South Island. (previous whaling stations having been seasonal) Guard's wife Elizabeth or Betty (née Parker, 1814–1870) whom he married in Sydney in 1830, was the first European woman to settle in the South Island. Guard's son, John junior (born 1 October 1831) was the first European child born in the South Island and his daughter Louisa (born late 1833) the first female child.
A year after starting the Te Awaiti station, in 1828, he started a branch whaling station at Port Underwood
. Later he had to abandon the Te Awaiti station.
In 1834 he was wrecked off the Taranaki coast in the Harriet with his wife and family. In the Harriet Affair, a group of British soldiers of the 50th Regiment from Australia landed in Taranaki to rescue his wife and two children, John and Louisa and punish the kidnappers. This was the first clash between Māori and British troops. The expedition sent by Governor Bourke
from Sydney was subsequently criticised by a British House of Commons report in 1835.
He settled permanently at Port Underwood
in 1836, and was still whaling off the Kaikoura
coast in the 1840s. His later life is unknown, but he probably farmed at Kakapo Bay.
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand, working as a whaler
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
and trader.
Early life
Guard was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1791 or 1792. On 17 March 1813 at age 21, the stonecutter was convicted of stealing a quilt and sentenced to transportation and five years hard labour. At the end of his sentence, he worked as a sealer
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
, and after five or six years had his own boat and crew.
New Zealand
Guard can lay credit to a number of European firsts in New Zealand's South IslandSouth Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. His whaling station, established at Te Awaiti on the Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island is a small island located in the Marlborough Sounds, at the north east tip of the South Island of New Zealand.The island has a land area of...
shore of Tory Channel
Tory Channel
Tory Channel is one of the drowned valleys that form the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand.Tory Channel is named after the "Tory", a pioneer ship that brought British colonists to Wellington in 1840. It lies to the south of Arapawa Island, separating it from the mainland. At its western end it...
in 1827, was the first permanent settlement in the South Island. (previous whaling stations having been seasonal) Guard's wife Elizabeth or Betty (née Parker, 1814–1870) whom he married in Sydney in 1830, was the first European woman to settle in the South Island. Guard's son, John junior (born 1 October 1831) was the first European child born in the South Island and his daughter Louisa (born late 1833) the first female child.
A year after starting the Te Awaiti station, in 1828, he started a branch whaling station at Port Underwood
Port Underwood
Port Underwood is a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of Cloudy Bay at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds. With only a relatively narrow entrance to the south-south-east it is sheltered from almost all winds...
. Later he had to abandon the Te Awaiti station.
In 1834 he was wrecked off the Taranaki coast in the Harriet with his wife and family. In the Harriet Affair, a group of British soldiers of the 50th Regiment from Australia landed in Taranaki to rescue his wife and two children, John and Louisa and punish the kidnappers. This was the first clash between Māori and British troops. The expedition sent by Governor Bourke
Richard Bourke
General Sir Richard Bourke, KCB was Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, Australia between 1831 and 1837.-Early life and career:...
from Sydney was subsequently criticised by a British House of Commons report in 1835.
He settled permanently at Port Underwood
Port Underwood
Port Underwood is a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of Cloudy Bay at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds. With only a relatively narrow entrance to the south-south-east it is sheltered from almost all winds...
in 1836, and was still whaling off the Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....
coast in the 1840s. His later life is unknown, but he probably farmed at Kakapo Bay.
Further Reading
- Grady, D. Guards of the sea. Christchurch, 1978
- Griffin, R. H. Captain John Guard. New Plymouth, [1966]
- Macgregor, M. Petticoat pioneers. Book 2. Wellington, 1975
- McNab, R. The old whaling days. Christchurch, 1913
- Marshall, W. B. A personal narrative of two visits to New Zealand. London, 1836