Frederick Weld

Frederick Weld (1823–1891) arrived in New Zealand in 1844, and established sheep stations in Marlborough and Wairarapa with his cousins, Charles Clifford and William Vavasour. Weld's attitudes towards Maori came from his early experiences as a grazier. He said his dealings with them were 'firm but fair'. But one historian has noted that when Maori interests cut across settler priorities, fairness did not seem to enter into it.

Weld entered Parliament in 1853. In 1860 he joined the Stafford ministry, and became Minister of Native Affairs. In his view the Taranaki conflict stemmed from a wrongful claim of Maori 'quasi-sovereignty', and it was the government’s duty to resist this attempt to 'divide the empire'. Moreover, if the British Government would not co-operate, the colony would raise its own troops and take full charge of Maori affairs. This is often referred to as Weld’s 'self-reliance' policy. As Premier he later supported the confiscation of 1.2 million acres (just under half a million hectares) of Waikato land.

Another notable feature of his administration was the introduction of legislation, in 1865, which set up the Native Land Court. Some historians claim that this policy was shaped by pressure from land speculators. During following decades the Court speeded up the alienation of extensive areas of Maori land. Weld did not witness this. He retired from politics in 1866 and left the colony in 1867. He was later appointed Governor of Western Australia (1868–1874), Tasmania (1875–1880) and the Straits Settlements.

• See also: biography of Frederick Weld at DNZB website