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Story: Australians

Waitangi Treaty House, made in Australia

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Waitangi Treaty House, made in Australia

James Busby came from Sydney in 1833 as New Zealand’s first British Resident. Busby’s house, the Waitangi Treaty House, was prefabricated in Sydney and the parts keyed with Roman numerals for reassembly. It was designed by Sydney architects in a Colonial Georgian style that was more common in Australia.

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Heritage New Zealand – Pouhere Taonga

by Aidan Challis

Permission of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, Australians – Early arrivals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/636/waitangi-treaty-house-made-in-australia (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.