NEW ZEALAND COMPANY

(183858), British joint-stock company responsible for much of the early settlement of New Zealand; it attempted to colonize in accordance with the theories of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (q.v.). Formed in the summer of 1838 after a parent New Zealand Association failed to receive a royal charter to proceed with the settlement of the still independent islands, the company sent a land purchase expedition to New Zealand in 1839. In 1840 it founded the settlements of Wellington and Nelson and, in 1841, through a subsidiary organization (the Plymouth Company), the settlement of New Plymouth. While the advance group was buying land, Britain annexed New Zealand (May 1840) on terms that necessitated a review of the company's land purchases from the Maori (see Waitangi, Treaty of). From 1840 to 1845 many of its transactions were ruled invalid. Immigrants who had heeded the company's propaganda found that there was actually little land to be had when they arrived. While the company had finally received a royal charter to continue its work (1841), it was in serious financial difficulty. The massacre in 1843 of its officials and the 184447 Bay of Islands War exacerbated the company's plight. In 1858 it was dissolved. Cultural life The cultural milieu in New Zealand is complex: it is predominantly European but also contains elements from many other peoples, particularly the Maori. Immigrant groups have generally tended to assimilate into the European life-style, although traditional customs are still followed by many Tongans, Samoans, and other Pacific Islanders. The Maori, however, have found themselves torn between the pressure to assimilate and the desire to preserve their own culture. The loss of much of their land in the 19th century undermined their political structures, and large-scale conversion to Christianity resulted in the abandonment of traditional religious observances; but there has been a determined effortespecially in the second half of the 20th centuryto preserve and revive artistic and social traditions. A renaissance has occurred in Maori wood carving and weaving and in the construction of carved and decorated meeting houses (whare whakairo). Maori songs and dances have become increasingly popular, especially among the young. Maori meetingswhether hui (assemblies) or tangi (funeral gatherings)are conducted in traditional fashion, with ancient greeting ceremonies strictly observed. The general public has become familiar with Maori art, which is displayed in numerous galleries and museums. European cultural life has progressed rapidly since the early 20th century. Numerous writers were active in the late 19th century, the most successful of whom were historians, such as William Pember Reeves, and ethnologists, including S. Percy Smith and Elsdon Best. The work of the first genuinely original writers of fiction, the short-story writer Katherine Mansfield and the poet R.A.K. Mason, did not appear until the 1920s. During the harsh years of the Great Depression of the 1930s a group of poets appeared and established a national tradition of writing. Although influenced by contemporary English literatureT.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden were greatly respectedthey wrote about their New Zealand experience. The most notable member of this group was Allen Curnow. A.R.D. Fairburn, Denis Glover, and Charles Brasch were other major poets. At the same time Frank Sargeson began writing the superb stories in New Zealand vernacular for which he became well known. Since World War II the work of these pioneering writers has been followed by that of such widely published and acclaimed poets as James K. Baxter and Kendrick Smithyman. There is a host of younger poets, notably Ian Wedde and Elizabeth Smither. A number of novelists have also earned international reputations, notably Janet Frame, Keri Hulme, and Sylvia Ashton-Warner. These and other New Zealand writers have been greatly aided by the growth of the publishing industry in New Zealand during this time. In the second half of the 20th century, painters began to rival writers in artistic accomplishment. The first to achieve international recognition, Frances Hodgkins, spent most of her life abroad. Since the 1960s, however, an unprecedented art scene has emerged, created initially by a group of artists, including Colin McCahon and Don Binney, who were helped by the rise of private galleries in most large towns and cities. While often New Zealand in subject, the paintings from this group indicate how aware the painters were of international influences. This group paved the way for what has become a small legion of artists. In the 1970s and '80s successful professional theatre companies have been established in the citiesincluding the Downstage in Wellington and the Mercury Theatre in Aucklandin contrast to the early companies that folded for want of sufficient audiences. Several symphony orchestras also have had growing support. New Zealand has produced some well-known singers, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Inia Te Wiata, and Donald McIntyre. Some popular musical groups have also achieved international success. The state has moved progressively since the 1940s to assist and encourage the arts. The Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council gives annual grants in support of theatre, music, modern dance and ballet, and opera, and the New Zealand Literary Fund subsidizes publishers and writers. In addition, New Zealand was one of the first countries to establish a fund to compensate writers for the loss of royalties on books borrowed from libraries rather than purchased. The national orchestra and a weekly cultural publication, the New Zealand Listener, are supported by the government through the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand, which controls Radio New Zealand and both channels of Television New Zealand. The government also subsidizes a motion-picture industry that has received growing international recognition. Newspapers in New Zealand provide a high standard of reporting, with substantial coverage of world news provided largely by foreign agencies. No daily paper has a national circulation, but some from the large cities are distributed widely over their respective islands. Numerous local and regional dailies are also published. Sports are the main leisure-time occupation of most of the population. There is widespread participation in most major sports, particularly rugby football. Horse racing is a popular spectator sport. The climate and the variety of terrain allow for year-round activity in many sports. James Wilmot Rowe Margaret Ann Rowe Sir Keith Sinclair