1980 - Sewell, Henry. The Journal of Henry Sewell, 1853-7. Volume II - [Front matter]

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THIS second volume of Henry Sewell's Journal, 1853-7, deals mainly with his experiences as a parliamentarian in Auckland, though there are excursions back to Canterbury to witness the final completion of his salvage operation on the accounts of the Canterbury Association.

In May 1854 Sewell travelled to Auckland by ship as elected representative for Christchurch Town to New Zealand's first General Assembly. His wife Elizabeth sailed with him and on the way they called at Nelson, Wellington and New Plymouth to visit old friends and see at first hand those burgeoning settlements. Subsequently Sewell attended all the other sessions of the early assemblies and on one occasion was the only 'southern member' able or willing to be present. His day-by-day Journal descriptions of those sessions are unequalled in their fullness and complement several less-extensive accounts by other prominent figures of the day. A high point of personal tension (and of history) comes when Sewell himself is approached by Governor Gore Browne to form a ministry--the first under responsible self-government. In his own estimation he was always a somewhat reluctant politician but as his public role develops in these pages Sewell reveals himself as one of the most articulate thinking men in the forefront of affairs during those important years of New Zealand's political growth. His views on Imperial relations and Maori affairs, for instance, were considerably in advance of their time.

Again in this volume people and personalities afford the main historical interest of the Journal. Here naturally the sampling is largely political and without exception we encounter, either as friend or foe, every leading figure of provincial and national politics--Fox, Featherston, FitzGerald, Stafford, Whitaker, Richmond, Cargill and so on. Governor Browne duly arrives to replace Sir George Grey and in taking time out to explore the Auckland area Sewell also meets many local notables, prominent churchmen and the like.

Away from politics (and Auckland), the chief highlight of Volume II is a full-length description of a sheep drove down across the Canterbury Plains as far as Timaru, featuring hazardous river-crossings and comments on early station life. And there is another diversion to Akaroa, during which the diarist meets the famous cadet runholders Tripp and Acland and shares their exploration of Banks Peninsula. Finally, on his homeward voyage in 1857, Sewell takes an extended look at Sydney, Melbourne and the goldfields at Ballarat.

WHITCOULLS PUBLISHERS

Working from the manuscript of Sewell's Journal now held in the library of the University of Canterbury, Professor W. David McIntyre has scrutinised every word and restored all crossed-out passages in presenting this fully annotated edition of the 1853-7 text. His annotations are both explanatory and factual, accurate source references being complemented by potted biographies of all characters Sewell met. He has also written an Introduction and Aftermath, surveying in detail both the period of the printed Journal and Sewell's early and later career. He has compiled the index himself and personally selected a series of illustrations to show the main personalities and places encountered in the two separate volumes.

Professor of History at the University of Canterbury since 1966, David McIntyre graduated BA from Cambridge, MA from the University of Washington and PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A specialist in Commonwealth history, he wrote The Imperial Frontier in the Tropics (1967) and his textbook, Colonies into Commonwealth, is used all over the world. He edited with W. J. Gardner the valuable reference collection Speeches and Documents on New Zealand History (1971, 1979) and since then has published The Commonwealth of Nations (1977) and The Rise and Fall of the Singapore Naval Base (1979). He is married with a family of five children ranging in age-level from undergraduate to kindergarten.

JACKET PAINTING: 'Auckland Harbour by C. D. Barraud from New Zealand Graphic and Descriptive (1877). View of the harbour from the road to Mount Eden.

ISBN 0 7233 0623 0

Vol. II -- ISBN 0 7233 0625 7

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THE JOURNAL OF HENRY SEWELL 1853-7

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FIRST PUBLISHED 1980

c 1980 W. David McIntyre and Whitcoulls Ltd

WHITCOULLS PUBLISHERS

CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-wise, without prior written permission of Whitcoulls Limited

ISBN 0 7233 0623 0

Volume II

ISBN 0 7233 0625 7

Printed in New Zealand by Whitcoulls Ltd

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CONTENTS OF VOLUME II

THE JOURNAL (continued)

Voyage to Auckland via Wellington and Nelson.....11

The First General Assembly.....20

Member of the Mixed Ministry.....28

Visit to Nelson.....90

Visit to Wellington.....95

Canterbury and the Association's Accounts.....100

Further Trip to Akaroa.....130

The Association's Settlement with the Province.....135

Voyage North.....153

A Visit to Taranaki.....158

Third Session of the First General Assembly.....165

Brief Stop at New Plymouth.....179

Return to Canterbury.....184

The 1855 General Election.....195

The Governor Visits Canterbury.....200

Journey to South Canterbury.....207

Church Deeds Transferred--Canterbury Mission Ends.....223

Second Parliament--Sewell Becomes Premier.....227

Treasurer in Stafford's Government.....246

New South Wales.....276

Victoria.....289

Ballarat and the Goldfields.....293

Homeward Passage.....304

AFTERMATH: SEWELL'S LATER CAREER.....311

APPENDICES

I FitzGerald's Account of the First General Assembly.....323

II The Compact.....338

Bibliography.....343

Index.....353

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ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATES

Between pages 96 and 97

34. The bound copies of the Journal
University of Canterbury Library

35. New Plymouth, c. 1855
Watercolour by H. H. Arden; Taranaki Museum

36. Alfred Ludlam's house at the Hutt
Watercolour by F. Dillon Bell; Hocken Library

37. Nelson in the early 1850s
Sketch by Charles Heaphy; Nelson Provincial Museum

38. Dr Ralph Richardson, M.L.C.
Nelson Provincial Museum

39. Auckland, the seat of Government
University of Canterbury Library

Between pages 128 and 129

40. Princes Street, Auckland, c. 1850
Sketch by Major C. Bridge; Alexander Turnbull Library

41. Early photograph of Princes Street, c. 1860
Auckland Public Library

42. James Edward FitzGerald
Canterbury Museum

43. Frederick Weld
Canterbury Museum

44. Francis Dillon Bell, M.L.C.
Alexander Turnbull Library

45. Henry Sewell
Canterbury Museum

46. Colonel R. H. Wynyard, Acting-Governor
Drawing by Webster; Alexander Turnbull Library

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47. William Swainson, Attorney-General
Law Drafting Office

48. St Kevin's balcony, 1855
Sepia wash drawing by J. Kinder; Hocken Library

49. St John's College, Tamaki
Drawing by Caroline Abraham, 1851; photo University of Canterbury Library

Between pages 224 and 225

50. Governor Thomas Gore Browne
Alexander Turnbull Library

51. Auckland in the 1860s
Part of watercolour by J. C. Hoyte; Mrs R. Forgie

52. The first Parliament building, Auckland
Auckland Public Library

53. Government House, Auckland, c. 1856
Alexander Turnbull Library

54. Part of Governor's dispatch to the Secretary of State
University of Canterbury Library

Between pages 256 and 257

55. Dr Isaac Featherston
Alexander Turnbull Library

56. William Fox
Alexander Turnbull Library

57. William Fitzherbert
Alexander Turnbull'Library

58. Edward Stafford
Alexander Turnbull Library

59. Henry Sewell in 1860
Alexander Turnbull Library

60. Frederick Whitaker
Auckland Public Library

61. Christopher Richmond
Alexander Turnbull Library

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62. Dr J. Logan Campbell
Alexander Turnbull Library

63. Henry Sewell's handwriting--part of a letter to Lord Lyttelton
Canterbury Museum

FIGURES

8. Copy of Governor's letter to Sewell summoning him to form a ministry.....229
University of Canterbury Library

9. Elizabeth Sewell's handwriting--a page from the Journal.....238
University of Canterbury Library

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