Robert FitzRoy seated at a writing desk, circa 1860. FitzRoy was governor of New Zealand from December 1843 to November 1845.
If settlers upset by the Wairau incident were looking for words of encouragement from FitzRoy when he visited Port Nicholson for the first time in January 1844, they were disappointed. At his formal reception Fitzroy stated:
mistake me not; not an acre, not an inch of land belonging to the natives shall be touched without their consent, and none of their pahs, cultivated grounds, or sacred burial places shall be taken from them.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PAColl-6075-33
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
