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Biography: Read, George Edward

George Read

George Read

Astute, energetic and volatile, George Read was a mariner who with the agreement of local Maori became the principal trader in Poverty Bay from 1852. By consolidating his business and promoting European settlement, he helped create the town of Gisborne.

Using this item

Tairawhiti Museum, Te Whare Taonga O Te Tairawhiti

Reference: 900-Read-04

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

How to cite this page

Philip Whyte. 'Read, George Edward', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/39818/george-read (accessed 4 June 2026).