faith, came to New Zealand early and often. In addition, a significant propor-
tion of Irish immigrants to New Zealand were from the northern (more
Scottish) counties of Ireland (Phillips and Hearn 2008). Scots comprised a
substantial portion of early business leaders, pastoralists, and political leaders.
The founders of Auckland (John Logan Campbell and William Brown), Christ-
church (John and William Deans), and Dunedin (William Cargill and Thomas
Burns) were Scots.
Richard Seddon, New Zealand’s longest-serving prime minister (1893–1906),
while born in Lancashire, was a‘north Briton’strongly influenced by his
Scottish mother (Brooking 2014, p. 12). Significant prime ministers,^16 or
premiers, had Scottish or Northern Irish heritage: Robert Stout, John Ballance,
William Ferguson Massey, Peter Fraser, Keith Holyoake, Jenny Shipley, Helen
Clark. From 1885 to 2015 these leaders (including another Scot, Thomas
McKenzie, and Seddon) led New Zealand for a combined total offifty-nine
years.^17 In addition, William Downie Stewart, Jr, Arnold Nordmeyer, and
Donald Brash became importantfinancial leaders. Refugee highlander John
McKenzie became New Zealand’s pre-eminent land reformer. Other leaders
were non‑conformists. Harry Atkinson, though himself Anglican, had strong
Unitarian connections. Walter Nash, an English-born Labourfinance minister
and prime minister, was a Christian Socialist. David Lange and Roger Douglas
were Methodist; Robert Muldoon was Baptist. Norman Kirk had a Salvation
Army background. Of New Zealand’s important prime ministers, three had
Irish Catholic roots (Ward, Savage, Bolger).^18 Gordon Coates, George Forbes,
Sid Holland, and Bill Rowling were Anglican.
Otago (comprising Dunedin and Port Chalmers) was a Free Church of
Scotland settlement, with puritan leanings. After the gold rushes commenced
in 1861, Dunedin’s Scottishness broadened. The population influx from
Victoria was heavily infused with the socialistic ideas that circulated at Ben-
digo and Ballarat. Chartism was important (Brooking 1996, p. 41). Miners
coming via California would have been exposed to the statist ideas of German-
American Friedrich List.^19 John Carruthers, the Scot whom Vogel employed to
become New Zealand’sfirst chief engineer, was strongly influenced by John
Ruskin’s antipathy towards classical economics (Smith 1996). He would go on
to present, in Wellington, tightly argued critiques of Mill’sPrinciples of Political
(^16) While the actual title was formally changed from premier to prime minister in 1907, when
New Zealand gained Dominion status, Seddon’s preference for the term‘prime minister’dates back
to 1900 (McLintock 1966). 17
While less prominent in national politics before 1885, Scots made significant early
contributions to provincial politics. 18
Ward and Savage were both born in Victoria. Bolger’s parents immigrated from Ireland in
- 19
Eldred-Grigg (2008, p. 234) notes California as a source of gold-seeking immigrants, many by
way of Victoria.
Keith Rankin