RUATARA. New Zealand’s colonial history began when Samuel Marsden found his young Maori friend Ruatara near death on a convict ship bound for Australia. Five years earlier Northland chiefs, Te Pahi and Hongi Hika, concerned about the negative influence of whalers and traders on the Maori people, had invited Marsden to New Zealand. The Boyd burning delayed this plan; it was now too dangerous to bring settlers to New Zealand. Once in Australia Marsden cared for Ruatara on his farm at Paramatta. Later he helped Ruatara introduce European agricultural skills to Rangihoua Pa at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands. The Gospel of Jesus Christ brought peace between tribes, a peace also facilitated by the successful introduction of wheat and vegetable crops. Join Ruatara and Marsden on their adventures as they begin this shared journey towards a better New Zealand-Aotearoa. Simon Fletcher’s illustrations bring more life to this historical story, for ten to fourteen year-olds and older. Ruatara is $20.
Email: jan@roads-end.co.nz
Writer: Jan Pendergrast