HISTORICAL DATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21698, 13 January 1934, Page 15

HISTORICAL DATES

Sir, —I am interested to see some new dates in the article "Historical Links" appearing in your issue of January 9. This quotes Sir John Logan Campbell as stating that Governor Hobson took up his residence at Government House, Auckland, on March 13, 1841. I notice that Mr. John Barr's "History of Auckland" (page 41) shows the date of the official landing of the Governor to be March 14, 1841. Brett's History (page 548) shows it to bo some time in January, 1841, while Mr. G. Finn, in his recently published "Datus," without dating the event, places it immediately after the hoisting .of the flag on September 18, 1840. I think it is still considered problematical as to whether Governor Hobson was present at the ceremony on September 18; at any rate, I have not yet been able to find any actual statement that he was. Also, the above-mentioned article shows the date of the first sale of town lands in Auckland as April 21, 1811. Mr. Barr shows this important event as takirig place on April 19-20, 1841 (pago 49), while Brett's History shows it as April 19, 1841. Mr. Finn, in his "Datus," shows it April 19, 1840 (obviously an error), and restates it April 19, 1841, in his list of events for the following year. Anyone who could straighten out the many variations in the records of New Zealand's early history would surely be doing a yeoman service. M.A.P.