Story: Ethnic and religious intolerance

Defending the Irish

Defending the Irish

In October 1857 it was learned that the Superintendent of Wellington province, Isaac Featherston, had asked the province's recruiting agents in Great Britain to exclude Irish people from assisted passages to Wellington. This was probably because the Irish were regarded as ill-educated, inclined to heavy drinking, and likely to be Catholic. However, Featherston's instructions were not well-received by some residents of Wellington, who organised a protest meeting and issued this leaflet.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-B-IMMIGRATION-1857-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, 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:

Paul Spoonley, 'Ethnic and religious intolerance - Intolerance towards European immigrants', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/ephemera/28168/defending-the-irish (accessed 23 April 2024)

Story by Paul Spoonley, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 7 Jun 2018