Te Whetu O Te Tau 1858: Commentary

Te Whetu o Te Tau 1858

The Star of the Year

Bibliographic Details    Subject Matter    Availability

Bibliographic Details

Published: Auckland, June 1858 - September 1858.

300 x 210 mm., 4 pages, double columns, all Maori, issued monthly, no illustrations, no advertisements, and no cost given. The imprint at the end reads, "I taia tenei e Piripi Kunita, ki Akarana" [Printed by Philip Kunst, at Auckland].

Like Te Waka o Te Iwi, which it continued, Te Whetu o Te Tau was edited by Charles Davis. Maori people continued to forward donations to support publication of the newspaper and to establish a Maori press. Te Waka o Te Iwi contains mostly letters, Te Whetu o Te Tau mostly articles, probably written by Davis.

After only three issues the paper ceased publication in September, 1858.

For further physical details refer to Herbert W. Williams, A Bibliography of Printed Maori to 1900, Item 306.

This paper is written in Maori.

Subject Matter

Content and topics of this paper include:

  • the Christian Church and its different sects
  • an account of a journey into the interior of the North island
  • Maori schools and towns
  • land sales
  • sheep farming
  • snippets of local and foreign news
  • letters to the Editor with waiata
  • public notices against selling land at Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, Maketu, and Waikato.

Availability

This newspaper is on microfilm and microfiche. Original copies are held at:

Auckland Public Library:

1858June, July, Sept.