Kōrero: History of immigration

The large-scale immigration of the 1870s was part of Premier Julius Vogel’s scheme to revive the economy. He borrowed money from overseas and spent it on recruiting immigrants and constructing roads and railways. In the early 1870s people could only cross from Wellington to Wairarapa by horse or bullock on the hilly Remutaka Road. In 1878 a rail connection was opened.