Story: Germans

The Grafton at Jackson Bay, about 1880

The Grafton at Jackson Bay, about 1880

In 1874 the government started preparations for a special settlement in Jackson Bay, South Westland. Forest workers from Pomerania were recruited to cut down the forests, but the land proved too wet. By 1879 more than 100 Germans had settled there, but by the time the coastal steamer the Grafton was calling in at the bay around 1880, many families had begun leaving for Otago. A few pioneering families stayed on, and there are still people with German surnames in South Westland.

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How to cite this page:

James N. Bade, 'Germans - 1870s: recruited settlers', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/556/the-grafton-at-jackson-bay-about-1880 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by James N. Bade, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2015