English New Zealanders
Total population
2 million[citation needed] (of full or partial ancestry)
Regions with significant populations
Nation-wide
Languages
English
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Pākehā

English New Zealanders are New Zealanders of English descent, or English-born people currently living in New Zealand. After British explorer James Cook arrived in New Zealand in 1769, many non-Polynesians began to visit and settle New Zealand, in particular, whalers, sealers, and ex-convicts from Australia, often of British (including English) ancestry.[1] After New Zealand became a colony of Britain in 1840, the country began to receive thousands of immigrants, with over 90% of them being from Britain and Ireland, with about half of them coming from England.[2][3]

Early settlement

A 19th-century English company the "New Zealand Company" played a key role in the colonisation of New Zealand. The company was formed to carry out the principles of systematic colonisation devised by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of a new-model English society in the southern hemisphere.[4]

Of New Zealand's English immigrants, most of them predominately originated from the south-west counties of Cornwall and Devon, with significant numbers also coming from England's southeast of London and Kent.[5]

Due to British colonisation, and the large numbers of English immigrants from the 19th century, English culture and language has had a profound impact on New Zealand society. For instance, English is by far the predominant and most widely spoken language in the country, with approximately 4.4 million speakers (c. 95% of the population) as of the 2018 census.[6] Also, based on the same census, England has remained as the most common place where immigrants to New Zealand come from.[6]

Legacy

As of the early 21st century, it is estimated that at least 80% of New Zealanders have some British ancestry,[7] which especially includes English given that at least half of immigrants that came from the United Kingdom were English. Over 50 per cent of New Zealand’s founding ethnic group were born in England as seen per the 1851 New Zealand census. What this demonstrates[dubious – discuss] is that out of a population of 5 million, around 2 million people in New Zealand are of English ancestry, likely making the English diaspora one of, if not the largest ethnic group in the country.

Birthplace

Year English-born
population 		% of population Ref(s)
1851 13,485 50.5 [8]
1861 36,128 36.5 [9][10]
1871 67,044 26.1 [11][12]
1881 119,224 24.33 [13][14]
1901 111,964 14.50 [15]
1911 133,811 13.28 [16]
1916 140,997 12.84 [17]
1961 154,869 - [18]
2001 178,203 - [19]
2006 202,401 - [20]
2013 215,589 5.1 [21]
2018 210,915 4.49 [22]

Population

As of the 2018 New Zealand census, about 260,000 (8.3%) Europeans in the country stated that they were born in the United Kingdom, making the UK the most common place of origin for immigrants to New Zealand.[23] England in particular, has always been a significant source of immigration. This was very much the case in the 19th century, where emigration from England ranged from 64.7% in the 1840s, to 49.7% by the 1871 census.[24]

English culture in New Zealand

Some of the most popular sports in New Zealand such as cricket, netball, rugby union and league, are of English origin.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "History of immigration". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Summary". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Where did they come from?". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  4. ^ King, Michael (2003). The Penguin History of New Zealand. p. 171. ISBN 978-1459623750.
  5. ^ "The English". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  6. ^ a b "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights". www.scoop.co.nz. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Country Profile: New Zealand". 14 May 2008. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ^ Bueltmann, Tanja; T. Gleeson, David; MacRaild, Don (25 May 2012). Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010. p. 152. ISBN 9781781387061. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  9. ^ Blackstock, Allan; O'Gorman, Frank (2014). Loyalism and the Formation of the British World 1775–1914. ISBN 9781843839125. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  10. ^ Bueltmann, Tanja; T. Gleeson, David; MacRaild, Don (25 May 2012). Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010. p. 152. ISBN 9781781387061. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  11. ^ Blackstock, Allan; O'Gorman, Frank (2014). Loyalism and the Formation of the British World 1775–1914. ISBN 9781843839125. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  12. ^ Bueltmann, Tanja; T. Gleeson, David; MacRaild, Don (25 May 2012). Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010. p. 152. ISBN 9781781387061. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  13. ^ Blackstock, Allan; O'Gorman, Frank (2014). Loyalism and the Formation of the British World 1775–1914. ISBN 9781843839125. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  14. ^ Bueltmann, Tanja; T. Gleeson, David; MacRaild, Don (25 May 2012). Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010. p. 152. ISBN 9781781387061. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  15. ^ "RESULTS OF A CENSUS OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND TAKEN FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 31ST MARCH, 1901. BIRTHPLACES OF THE PEOPLE". Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Results of a Census of the Dominion of New Zealand". Statistics New Zealand. 30 December 1912. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  17. ^ REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF A CENSUS OF THE POPULATION OF THE DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND TAKEN FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 15th OCTOBER, 1916.
  18. ^ Bueltmann, Tanja; T. Gleeson, David; MacRaild, Don (25 May 2012). Locating the English Diaspora 1500-2010. p. 152. ISBN 9781781387061. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  19. ^ Birthplace (detailed)(1)[permanent dead link] For the census usually resident population count 2001, 2006, and 2013 Censuses Table 11
  20. ^ Birthplace (detailed)(1)[permanent dead link] For the census usually resident population count 2001, 2006, and 2013 Censuses Table 11
  21. ^ Birthplace (detailed)(1)[permanent dead link] For the census usually resident population count 2001, 2006, and 2013 Censuses Table 11
  22. ^ "2018 Census population and dwelling counts". Stats NZ. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  23. ^ "2018 Census ethnic group summaries | Stats NZ". www.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Where did they come from?". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Top 5 Popular Sports In New Zealand Till Now | Neo Prime Sport". 27 March 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

Further reading

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