William Darby Brind, 1794?–1850
William Brind captained some of the many whaling vessels that called in at the Bay of Islands in the 1820s and 1830s, and he carried mail and supplies for both missionaries and Māori. The web of relationships he formed, including liaisons with Māori women, threatened the fragile peace that existed before British intervention.
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James Busby, 1802–1871
Appointed British Resident in New Zealand in 1833, and charged with protecting settlers and traders, James Busby soon found that he lacked the means to enforce his authority. However, he played an important role in organising and drafting the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840, which established British sovereignty.
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Hongi Hika, 1772–1828
As military leader of the Ngāpuhi people in the early 19th century, Hongi Hika extended his protection to European missionaries at the Bay of Islands and elsewhere. His motivation was to gain muskets so he could wage war against enemy tribes and extend his influence. He was so successful in military expeditions during the 1820s that he sparked a series of southward migrations by other tribes, eventually changing the distribution of the Māori population in the North Island.
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Marc Joseph Marion du Fresne, 1724?–1772
French explorer Marion du Fresne set off for a voyage of trade and discovery in the Pacific in 1771, arriving off the coast of New Zealand in 1772. The five weeks he spent at the Bay of Islands ended in disaster. He and members of his crew were killed by Māori, which sparked revenge attacks by the surviving Frenchmen. The trigger for conflict remains unclear, but the episode was a low point in the early encounters between Māori and Pākehā.
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Samuel Marsden, 1765–1838
After Māori visited him in the early 19th century, Sydney-based clergyman Samuel Marsden became interested in establishing a mission in New Zealand. He landed in the Bay of Islands in December 1814, the first in a long line of missionaries to arrive in Northland.
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Te Pahi, ?–1810
Ngāpuhi chief Te Pahi was the first influential Māori leader to visit New South Wales, in 1805. As the guest of the governor, Philip King, and missionary Samuel Marsden, Te Pahi became convinced of the benefits of association with Europeans. In turn, his attitude encouraged Marsden to eventually establish a mission in New Zealand.
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