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Story: East Coast region

Traders: John Harris

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Traders: John Harris

John Harris was the first European trader on the East Coast, trading in flax at Tūranganui (Gisborne) from mid-1831. He remained in the district for the rest of his life, as a trader, for a time as a whaler, and also as a landowner – thanks in part to the support of his Māori relatives by marriage.

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Tairawhiti Museum, Te Whare Taonga O Te Tairawhiti

Reference: 900 Harris 13 120B-19991049

Permission of Tairawhiti Museum, PO Box 716, Gisborne, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Monty Soutar, East Coast region – European impact on Māori, 1769 to 1869, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/33356/traders-john-harris (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Monty Soutar, published 23 August 2011, updated 1 March 2015.