Story: Cultural go-betweens

Colenso's printing press (1st of 2)

Colenso's printing press

Learning to read and write was, for many Māori, a powerful incentive to accept the missionaries' religious message. The demand for printed material, especially in the Māori language, greatly outstripped the supply, so a missionary-printer, William Colenso, arrived in New Zealand in 1834. His output of books, pamphlets and official publications increased after this Columbian printing press arrived in 1842.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-050378-F
Photograph by Trevor Ullyat

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:

Mark Derby, 'Cultural go-betweens - Missionaries', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/26796/colensos-printing-press (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Mark Derby, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 22 May 2018