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Story: Housing and government

Immigration barracks: New Plymouth

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Immigration barracks: New Plymouth

From the mid-1800s immigration barracks were built in most major European settlements in New Zealand to provide short-stay accommodation for new settlers after their arrival and before they secured work. This painting by Charles Heaphy shows the New Plymouth immigration barracks, erected in 1841 by local Māori for the first British settlers. It seems the immigrants were still to arrive because most of the people depicted appear to be Māori.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0048-01

by Charles Heaphy

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

Ben Schrader, Housing and government – Immigration barracks to workers’ dwellings, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/32386/immigration-barracks-new-plymouth (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 13 October 2011.