Declaration of The Independence of New Zealand - Background and Signing

Background and Signing

In 1834 James Busby, the official British Resident in New Zealand, drafted a document known as the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand which he and 34 northern Māori chiefs (including Tamati Waka Nene and Bay of Islands brothers; Te Wharerahi, Rewa, and Moka 'Kainga-mataa') signed at Waitangi on 28 October 1835. By 1839, 52 chiefs had signed.

The chiefs signed this declaration of independence and in the process established themselves as representing a proto-state under the title of the "United Tribes of New Zealand". Henry Williams and George Clarke, (missionaries) translated the Declaration and signed as witnesses James Clendon and Gilbert Mair (merchants) also signed as witnesses.

The Declaration of Independence arose in response to concerns over the lawlessness of British subjects in New Zealand and in response to a fear that France would declare sovereignty over the islands. At this time a Frenchman, Charles de Thierry, who titled himself as 'Charles, Baron de Tierry, Sovereign Chief of New Zealand and King of Nuku Hiva' (in the Marquesas Islands) was seeking to establish a colony on 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) he claimed to have purchased in the Hokianga. The document also arose from movements in Māori society where from 1816 onwards a number of Northern Māori chiefs had made visits to the colonies in New South Wales and Norfolk Island as well as to England leading to discussions about unifying the tribes and formation of a Māori government.

The Māori had become involved in international trade and owned trading ships and in 1834, the year prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the chiefs had selected a flag for use on ships originating from New Zealand. The need for a flag of New Zealand first became clear when the trading ship Sir George Murray, built in the Hokianga, was seized by Customs officials in the port of Sydney. The ship had been sailing without a flag, a violation of British navigation laws. New Zealand was not a colony at the time and had no flag. The ship's detainment was reported as arousing indignation among the Māori population. Unless a flag was selected, ships would continue to be seized. The flag — amended slightly when officially gazetted — became the first distinctively New Zealand flag. As late as 1900 it was still being used to depict New Zealand, and it appeared on the South African War Medal which was inscribed "Success to New Zealand Contingent 1899-1900" and issued to New Zealand soldiers at the Boer War. The unamended version, with eight-pointed stars and black fimbriation, is still widely used by Māori groups.