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among New Zealand Institute members and the lobbying of such figures as Thomas Cheeseman 87
and Algernon Thomas, it was ultimately Lord William Onslow’s 88 memorandum, which had been
drafted by Buller in December 1891, 89 for the protection of native wildlife and the
implementation of bird sanctuaries on offshore islands that paved the way for the acquisition of
Little Barrier in October 1894 after the proclamation came into effect on 23 February 1892. 90
At first glance, the local chief, Wiremu or Rini Tenetahi, a “schon etwas civilisierte[r]
Maorihäuptling” in European attire who Reischek first met in Auckland transporting firewood
from the island, 91 and his village on Hauturu appear to be anything but a hindrance to the idea of
turning the island into a bird sanctuary. The practice of conservation is clearly visible, as their
leader does not allow birds to be shot without his permission nor does he permit cats or bees on
the island, and kills any that are found in order to protect the birds (although, considering the
number of specimens Reischek presumably collected and the manner in which he would have had
to transport them sometimes under the observation of Tenetahi, he appears to have lifted the ban
for the Austrian). 92 Away from the evils of civilisation and nestled in “Gottes wunderbarer
emphasises, first of all, the importance of acting quickly, as “you might have not [sic] again a chance to get so easy
[sic] live specimens”, and secondly, his recommendation that “you would have to get a man who understands the
habits sexes and age of the Birds of New Zealand to procure jung [sic] healthy unheard [sic] specimens nothing
would please me more if I could serve you in this good purpose to procure [for] you live specimens gratis and take
care that they are properly shipped and supplied with food &c” (Andreas Reischek, “Letter to the President and
Committee of the Auckland Institute, 15 Dec 1886, Wellington”, in: Nolden, German and Austrian Naturalists,
161f.).
87
See Jeanne H. Goulding, “Cheeseman, Thomas Frederick 1845 – 1923: Botanist, museum director, teacher”, in:
DNZB 3, 95f.
88
See Ross Galbreath, “Onslow, William Hillier 1853 – 1911: Politician, colonial governor”, in: DNZB 2, 365f.
89
Reischek, meanwhile, notes in 1891 that Buller had been trying to persuade the Government to transplant rare and
endangered birds and plants onto an uninhabited island for protection, but at that stage had not succeeded (Andreas
Reischek, “Die Fauna Neuseelands und der Einfluss der Civilisation auf ihr rasches Verschwinden”, in:
Sitzungsberichte: Kaiserliche und Königliche Zoologisch-Botanische Gesellschaft in Wien 41 (1891): 8).
90
Marr et al., Crown Laws, 274f.; Galbreath, Walter Buller, 164f., 176-92. The acquisition of Little Barrier, however,
was not an easy matter. Even though the Government had first been interested in the island for defence purposes in
1878 and the issue of ownership had been settled in 1886, it finally took the passing of the Little Barrier Island
Purchase Act in 1894 to resolve previous Ngati Wai refusal to accept the Government’s offers and for the island to
become Crown land under the urgency of ‘compulsory purchase’. This came on the heels of the Auckland Institute
and others urging the Government to purchase the island as soon as possible due to the growing deforestation of
certain areas on the island. When an attempt at evicting the twenty-four Maori who resided there failed the following
year, they had to be forcibly removed in January 1896 by a bailiff and soldiers. In 1897 R. H. Shakespear became the
first official caretaker (Marr et al., Crown Laws, 271-78; Angela Ballara, “Tenetahi, Rahui Te Kiri ? – 1913: Ngati
Wai and Ngati Whatua woman of mana, ship owner, land claimant; Tenetahi, Wiremu Te Heru fl. 1860 – 1902:
Ngati Wai; ship owner, trader, land claimant”, in: DNZB 2, 533f.; Ronald Cometti, Little Barrier Island: New
Zealand’s Foremost Wildlife Sanctuary. Auckland: Hodder and Stoughton, 1986, 18f.; W. M. Hamilton, “History”,
in: Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). Ed. W. M. Hamilton. 2 nd Ed. Wellington: Government Printer, 1961, 18-30).
91
Reischek, “Tiora”, 320.
92
Reischek, “Klein-Barrier-Eiland”, 83.
243