Extremely Rare Educational Broadside for Missionary Schools - One of the Earliest Examples of Te Reo Māori in Print for a Māori audience

“Children brought to Christ”

“KA MAU-RIA NGA TA-MA-RI-KI KI TE KA-RAI-TI”

Large Broadside 45 x 39cm approx

c1833 – Printed in Sydney, Australia by William Jones

Two original folds with minor tear at centre. Wear and foxing at corners. Otherwise very good.

This early poster was printed for use in Missionary Schools in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand - the site of the first European settlements. It was printed in Australia, as the first functional printing press in New Zealand was not established until 1835. The poster was likely commissioned by William Yate, one of the earliest missionaries in New Zealand, who was the first leader of the Church Missionary Society station in the Bay of Islands. Yate had previously attempted to established a printing press in New Zealand in 1830, but he found printing too difficult and printed only 2 imprints on his short lived press in editions too small to be of use (one of which does not survive). Until William Colenso established the first New Zealand printing press in Paihia in 1835, most printing was therefore undertaken at Church Missionary Presses in Sydney or London, before being shipped to New Zealand.

This poster was printed alongside a Māori alphabet for use in Missionary schools. It can be seen that education and literacy were a key part of early Missionary Work in New Zealand. The text from Matthew 19, verses 13-15, encourages the conversion of Children to Christianity:

 ”Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.”

Of note, the Māori text includes an early use of the key word ”Rangatiratanga” which was subsequently used both in the Māori declaration of Independence “He Whakaputanga” and the Treaty of Waitangi. Its use here underlines the importance of religion in the interpretation of the word and is still of relevance today in the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This extremely early example of educational printed Māori survives in only 7 other known copies. WorldCat states only one copy is recorded outside of Australasia (at the Southern Methodist University in Texas).

Reference: BIM 16