Story: Religion and society

Charles Southwell's electioneering

Charles Southwell's electioneering

In 1856 the fiery atheist Charles Southwell arrived in Auckland. The following year he stood for the Auckland Provincial Council. As this account from the Daily Southern Cross suggests, Southwell's reputation had preceded him and he was not well-received. Southwell established his own newspaper, the Auckland Examiner, but died in 1860. Atheism and anti-clericalism of Southwell's variety had a small but visible presence in 19th-century New Zealand.

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National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Daily Southern Cross, 11 August 1857, p. 3

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

John Stenhouse, 'Religion and society - Secularism, gender and politics', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/28398/charles-southwells-electioneering (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by John Stenhouse, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 4 Apr 2018