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John Bryce
John Bryce (14 September 1833 – 17 January 1913) was a New Zealand politician from 1871 to 1891 and Minister of Native Affairs from 1879 to 1884. In his attitudes to Māori land questions, he favoured strict legal actions against Māori opposed to alienation, and he directed the invasion of Parihaka and the arrest of the movement's leaders.
Described as stubborn and embittered to Māori questions, Bryce was the public face of a harsh policy towards Māori, but the Premier and other cabinet members supported his actions.
John Bryce arrived in New Zealand as a child in 1840 and had little formal education.
After a short time in the Australian gold-fields in 1851, he purchased a farm near Wanganui and remained a farmer for the next fifty years.
In 1859, Bryce started his political career. By 1862 he was representing his area in the Wellington Provincial Council, and by 1866 was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wanganui, a position he held for only a year before resigning due to ill-health.
When settlers were threatened by Māori led by Tītokowaru in 1867, Bryce volunteered and became a lieutenant in the Kai-iwi Yeomanry Cavalry Volunteers. Bryce was proud of his commission, but an incident at William Handley's woolshed in November 1868 clouded his military career. Initially, it was reported as an attack on a band of Hauhau warriors, killing two and wounding others, and where Bryce was "prominent and set the men a gallant example", according to his commanding officer. Later reports had the Māori as a group of unarmed boys aged from ten to twelve.
The incident in which Bryce was alleged to have taken part was reported as an attack on women and children in the "History of New Zealand" published in 1883 and led to a successful libel action against the publisher George William Rusden. Ex-Governor Arthur Hamilton-Gordon supported publisher Rusden, but when the case went to trial, Bryce won and was awarded damages as it was proved no women were present at Handley's woolshed, and Bryce denied being directly involved. Gordon's involvement and the damaging trial publicity delayed his elevation to the British peerage.
In 1871, Bryce was back in Parliament as MP for Wanganui to 1881, and then MP for Waitotara until 1887. From 1876 to 1879, he chaired the Native Affairs Committee and, between 1879 and 1883, was the Minister of Native Affairs. He expanded the powers of the Native Land Court to facilitate the sale of Māori land, reduced the scope of the Native Department, and enforced the law against any Māori resisting land confiscation and sales. These actions made him deeply unpopular with Māori, and Bishop Octavius Hadfield reported that west coast Māori called him Bryce kohuru (Bryce the murderer).
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John Bryce
John Bryce (14 September 1833 – 17 January 1913) was a New Zealand politician from 1871 to 1891 and Minister of Native Affairs from 1879 to 1884. In his attitudes to Māori land questions, he favoured strict legal actions against Māori opposed to alienation, and he directed the invasion of Parihaka and the arrest of the movement's leaders.
Described as stubborn and embittered to Māori questions, Bryce was the public face of a harsh policy towards Māori, but the Premier and other cabinet members supported his actions.
John Bryce arrived in New Zealand as a child in 1840 and had little formal education.
After a short time in the Australian gold-fields in 1851, he purchased a farm near Wanganui and remained a farmer for the next fifty years.
In 1859, Bryce started his political career. By 1862 he was representing his area in the Wellington Provincial Council, and by 1866 was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wanganui, a position he held for only a year before resigning due to ill-health.
When settlers were threatened by Māori led by Tītokowaru in 1867, Bryce volunteered and became a lieutenant in the Kai-iwi Yeomanry Cavalry Volunteers. Bryce was proud of his commission, but an incident at William Handley's woolshed in November 1868 clouded his military career. Initially, it was reported as an attack on a band of Hauhau warriors, killing two and wounding others, and where Bryce was "prominent and set the men a gallant example", according to his commanding officer. Later reports had the Māori as a group of unarmed boys aged from ten to twelve.
The incident in which Bryce was alleged to have taken part was reported as an attack on women and children in the "History of New Zealand" published in 1883 and led to a successful libel action against the publisher George William Rusden. Ex-Governor Arthur Hamilton-Gordon supported publisher Rusden, but when the case went to trial, Bryce won and was awarded damages as it was proved no women were present at Handley's woolshed, and Bryce denied being directly involved. Gordon's involvement and the damaging trial publicity delayed his elevation to the British peerage.
In 1871, Bryce was back in Parliament as MP for Wanganui to 1881, and then MP for Waitotara until 1887. From 1876 to 1879, he chaired the Native Affairs Committee and, between 1879 and 1883, was the Minister of Native Affairs. He expanded the powers of the Native Land Court to facilitate the sale of Māori land, reduced the scope of the Native Department, and enforced the law against any Māori resisting land confiscation and sales. These actions made him deeply unpopular with Māori, and Bishop Octavius Hadfield reported that west coast Māori called him Bryce kohuru (Bryce the murderer).