James Busby
Encyclopedia
James Busby is widely regarded as the "father" of the Australian wine
industry, as he took the first collection of vine stock from Spain
and France
to Australia. Later he become a British Resident
who traveled to New Zealand, involved in the drafting of the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
and the Treaty of Waitangi
. As British Resident, he acted as New Zealand's first jurist, and the 'originator of law in Aotearoa', to whom New Zealand owes almost all of its underlying jurisprudence'.
engineer John Busby
and mother Sarah Kennedy. His family emigrated from Britain
to New South Wales
in 1824.
On his arrival in Sydney
, Busby was appointed a teacher of viticulture
at the Male Orphans School at Bald Hills near Liverpool
. The school closed in 1850. Busby served out his contract and taught the stipulated two hundred days at the Male Orphans' Farm. Busby then received a Grant of Land from the Governor and after much careful deliberation he chose a block in the Coal River area of the Hunter Valley
.
In 1828 Busby returned to England, before visiting Spain
and France
to further his study in viticulture
. Busby returned to Australia in 1828.
of New Zealand
and went to the Bay of Islands
, taking with him some of the vine stock he had collected in Europe. He married Agnes Dow at Segenhoe, in the Hunter Valley
, New South Wales on 1 November 1832.
A house was completed for him at Waitangi
where he planted a vineyard
from which wine was being made before his vines were productive in Australia.
His duties were to protect British commerce, control, and mediate between the unruly Pākehā settlers
and Māori in New Zealand. However he was not provided with any resources to impose this authority.
James Busby proposed that New Zealand should have a national flag, after an unregistered New Zealand ship was seized in Australia. A selection of three or four designs was sent from Australia, and one was chosen by the Māori chiefs at a meeting at his residency on 20 March 1834; see United Tribes of New Zealand
.
, was proposing to declare French sovereignty
over New Zealand. He drafted the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
and at a meeting in October signed it together with 35 chiefs from the northern part of New Zealand.
After the arrival of William Hobson
, he co-authored with him the Treaty of Waitangi
. It was signed on 5 and 6 February 1840 on the lawn outside his residence. Busby and his family left Waitangi that year. He declined an offer for position in the new colonial government, and instead focused on farming interests, but became entangled in litigation over his land titles: the New Zealand Banking Company seized his Waitangi property without giving Busby's debtors an opportunity to pay what they owed, and Governor Grey expropriated Busby's land at Whangarei
. He also edited a newspaper and served as a member of the Auckland Provincial Council. He contested the 1860 general election for a seat in the House of Representatives
for the Bay of Islands
electorate, but was unsuccessful.
, England after travelling back for an eye operation, and is buried at West Norwood Cemetery
in London
. His wife returned to New Zealand where she died, at Pakaraka
in 1889, and is buried at Paihia
.
The Waitangi property
, on which the Treaty
was signed, was derelict until the 1930s, when it was purchased by the Governor-General
of the day, Viscount Bledisloe
and donated to the nation.
Australian wine
The Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
industry, as he took the first collection of vine stock from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Australia. Later he become a British Resident
Resident (title)
A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
who traveled to New Zealand, involved in the drafting of the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
In New Zealand political and social history, the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand , was signed by a number of Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840....
and the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. As British Resident, he acted as New Zealand's first jurist, and the 'originator of law in Aotearoa', to whom New Zealand owes almost all of its underlying jurisprudence'.
Life
He was born in Scotland, the son of EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
engineer John Busby
John Busby
John Busby was an English-born surveyor and civil engineer, active in Australia.-Early life:Busby was born in Alnwick, Northumberland, England, eldest son of George Busby, a miner and coalmaster of Stamford, and his wife Margaret, née Wilson, of Dunstan, Northumberland...
and mother Sarah Kennedy. His family emigrated from Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1824.
On his arrival in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Busby was appointed a teacher of viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
at the Male Orphans School at Bald Hills near Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
. The school closed in 1850. Busby served out his contract and taught the stipulated two hundred days at the Male Orphans' Farm. Busby then received a Grant of Land from the Governor and after much careful deliberation he chose a block in the Coal River area of the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
.
In 1828 Busby returned to England, before visiting Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to further his study in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. Busby returned to Australia in 1828.
In New Zealand
In March 1832 he was appointed to the position of British ResidentResident (title)
A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and went to the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
, taking with him some of the vine stock he had collected in Europe. He married Agnes Dow at Segenhoe, in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
, New South Wales on 1 November 1832.
A house was completed for him at Waitangi
Waitangi, Northland
For the main port and settlement at the Chatham Islands, see Waitangi, Chatham IslandsWaitangi is a township located in the Bay of Islands on the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the town of Paihia , 60 kilometres north of Whangarei...
where he planted a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
from which wine was being made before his vines were productive in Australia.
His duties were to protect British commerce, control, and mediate between the unruly Pākehā settlers
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
and Māori in New Zealand. However he was not provided with any resources to impose this authority.
James Busby proposed that New Zealand should have a national flag, after an unregistered New Zealand ship was seized in Australia. A selection of three or four designs was sent from Australia, and one was chosen by the Māori chiefs at a meeting at his residency on 20 March 1834; see United Tribes of New Zealand
United Tribes of New Zealand
The United Tribes of New Zealand was a loose confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island.- History :The confederation was convened in 1834 by British Resident James Busby...
.
Independence and Treaty of Waitangi
In 1835 Busby learned that Baron Charles Philippe Hippolyte de Thierry, a FrenchmanFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, was proposing to declare French sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
over New Zealand. He drafted the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand
In New Zealand political and social history, the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand , was signed by a number of Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840....
and at a meeting in October signed it together with 35 chiefs from the northern part of New Zealand.
After the arrival of William Hobson
William Hobson
Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...
, he co-authored with him the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. It was signed on 5 and 6 February 1840 on the lawn outside his residence. Busby and his family left Waitangi that year. He declined an offer for position in the new colonial government, and instead focused on farming interests, but became entangled in litigation over his land titles: the New Zealand Banking Company seized his Waitangi property without giving Busby's debtors an opportunity to pay what they owed, and Governor Grey expropriated Busby's land at Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
. He also edited a newspaper and served as a member of the Auckland Provincial Council. He contested the 1860 general election for a seat in the House of Representatives
New Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
for the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands (New Zealand electorate)
Bay of Islands is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It existed during various periods between 1853 and 1993.-Population centres:...
electorate, but was unsuccessful.
Later life
He died in 1871 in AnerleyAnerley
Anerley is a district of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Anerley is geographically an outer lying area of London, although it is considered to have characteristics of an Inner city suburb...
, England after travelling back for an eye operation, and is buried at West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery is a cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery.One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His wife returned to New Zealand where she died, at Pakaraka
Pakaraka
Pakaraka is a settlement in Northland, New Zealand and is one of the oldest settlements in the Bay of Islands. It is located at the junction of State Highway 1 and 10....
in 1889, and is buried at Paihia
Paihia
Paihia is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the historic towns of Russell, and Kerikeri, 60 kilometres north of Whangarei. The origin of the name Paihia is obscure. One, possibily apocryphal, attribution is to...
.
The Waitangi property
Treaty house
In New Zealand, the Treaty House refers to the former house of the British Resident in New Zealand, James Busby. The Treaty of Waitangi, the document that established the British Colony of New Zealand was signed in the grounds of the Treaty House on 6 February 1840.The grounds had previously been...
, on which the Treaty
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
was signed, was derelict until the 1930s, when it was purchased by the Governor-General
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
of the day, Viscount Bledisloe
Viscount Bledisloe
Viscount Bledisloe, of Lydney in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the Conservative politician Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe, upon his retirement as Governor-General of New Zealand...
and donated to the nation.
Published writings
- Treatise on the Culture of the Vine (1825)
- A Manual of Plain Directions for Planting and Cultivating Vineyards and for Making Wine in New South Wales (Sydney 1830)
- Journal of a Tour through some of the vineyards of Spain and France (Sydney 1833)
See also
- Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of WaitangiThe Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
- Australian wineAustralian wineThe Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
- New Zealand wineNew Zealand wineNew Zealand wine is largely produced in ten major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending . They are, from north to south Northland, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury/Waipara and Central...
- List of wine personalities