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Story: Irish

County of origin of Irish immigrants, 1853–70

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County of origin of Irish immigrants, 1853–70

During the gold-mining period, there were still numbers coming from the south-west, many of whom were Catholics originally attracted to the Australian goldfields. For the first time County Antrim, near Belfast, became a significant source for Irish immigrants as the provinces, especially Canterbury, began to recruit Protestants in that area.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Sample of death registers, ‘Peopling’ project, Ministry for Culture and Heritage

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Irish – Migration after 1870, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/36/county-of-origin-of-irish-immigrants-1853-70 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.