This month we are giving away a copy of At the Margin of Empire by Jennifer Ashton. To enter the draw, please email your name and address to Alumni Relations Manager Melanie Barr at m.barr@auckland.ac.nz. The winner will be notified on 10 April 2015.
At the Margin of Empire illuminates the early history of New Zealand through the life of one man: John Webster. Born in Scotland in 1818, Webster came to New Zealand via Australia when he was 23. He then spent most of his life in Hokianga. At the Margin of Empire charts his colourful experiences carving out a fortune as the region's leading timber trader and cultivating connections with the notable figures of the day – both Māori and Pākehā. Webster was a friend of Frederick Maning and was visited by George Grey, Richard Seddon, and other colonial luminaries. He fought alongside Tāmati Wāka Nene in the Northern War, married one of Nene's relatives, and built up his kauri-timber business through trade with local chiefs. Through his daily interactions, Ashton argues, Webster helped shift the balance of power in the north – the credit that he extended to his customers and kin saw them selling land to pay debts, helping to push Māori into economic dependence.
In telling the story of John Webster's long and eventful life, this biography also explores the wider transformation of relationships between Māori and Pākehā during the nineteenth century. It is an intimate and revealing account of life in early New Zealand.
This month we are giving away a copy of At the Margin of Empire by Jennifer Ashton. To enter the draw, please email your name and address to Alumni Relations Manager Melanie Barr at m.barr@auckland.ac.nz. The winner will be notified on 10 April 2015.
At the Margin of Empire illuminates the early history of New Zealand through the life of one man: John Webster. Born in Scotland in 1818, Webster came to New Zealand via Australia when he was 23. He then spent most of his life in Hokianga. At the Margin of Empire charts his colourful experiences carving out a fortune as the region's leading timber trader and cultivating connections with the notable figures of the day – both Māori and Pākehā. Webster was a friend of Frederick Maning and was visited by George Grey, Richard Seddon, and other colonial luminaries. He fought alongside Tāmati Wāka Nene in the Northern War, married one of Nene's relatives, and built up his kauri-timber business through trade with local chiefs. Through his daily interactions, Ashton argues, Webster helped shift the balance of power in the north – the credit that he extended to his customers and kin saw them selling land to pay debts, helping to push Māori into economic dependence.
In telling the story of John Webster's long and eventful life, this biography also explores the wider transformation of relationships between Māori and Pākehā during the nineteenth century. It is an intimate and revealing account of life in early New Zealand.
Author
After a career as a technical writer and editor, Jennifer Ashton graduated from the University of Auckland history department with a PhD in 2012. Her doctoral thesis was placed on the Dean's List and won a Post-Doctoral Award from the Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust.
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