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PENWOMEN'S CLUB.

EARLY NEW ZEALAND. TALK ON COLONISATION.

An interesting address on the literary aspect of Xew Zealand colonisation was given by Mr. Martin Smith at the Penwomen's Club yesterday afternoon. Previous to the time of Xew Zealand's colonisation, said Mr. Martin Smith, Britain had suffered a number of serious reverses in regard to colonies and there was, indeed, a feeling in Britain that colonies were not worth while. Xew Zealand, however, he continued, was formed for settlement and not, as had been the case of former colonies, for exploitation purposes. The full effects of the industrial revolution that followed the introduction of machinery were being felt in Britain. People had left the villages to work in factories in the cities*, and the old village community life was being destroyed. Leaders of pioneer thought then turned their attention to Xew Zealand with the idea of establishing there the rural village life.

Mr. Martin Smith pointed out that in the literature of the 'fnrtiej there was an expression of the feeling that the Old AVotid wa* decadent and that rejuvenation would come through the new lands. Many leaders of thought, including Bent ham. the two Mills and Wakefield, considered that Xew Zealand was a fitting place to establish the Utopia of their dreams. A belief in education played a large part, and this was one of the reason* that education has always been a primary consideration in Xew Zealand.

One of the interesting personalities to come to Xew Zealand in the early years, said the speaker, was Thomas Arnold, a *on of Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, and brother of Matthew Arnold. Possessed of the enthusiastic reforming spirit, and not finding *cope for it in Britain, he. determined to emigrate to Xew Zealand. Alfred Domett and Dillon Bell also were men of scholarship who had hopes of Xew Zealand as a veritable Utopia. Sir •InlitiA Yooe), j n ],j s «2000 A.D.," expressed in the pnblu: life of Xew Zealand the very antithesis of the views of these writers. The material prosperity and materialistic outlook of this book disappointed the idealists, .said the speaker. Freud and Arthur Clough were also interested in the development of Xew Zealand. Pemberton's. "Happy Colony," mentioned the speaker, was a book that influenced the shaping of New Zealand. The instructions that were given to the surveyors, by the New Zealand Company we're largely the ideas in T'cniberton's book.

The president, Mrs. Xello Porter, presided and thanked Mr. Martin Smith for his address. Impromptu discussions on "Should women make upi" and "Should we always say what we think?" were held earlier in the afternoon, Mrs. A. M. Wilson presiding.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19390617.2.140

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 141, 17 June 1939, Page 16

Word Count
441

PENWOMEN'S CLUB. Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 141, 17 June 1939, Page 16

PENWOMEN'S CLUB. Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 141, 17 June 1939, Page 16

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