Mission in Queen Charlotte Sound
Born in Sheffield, England in 1814, Samuel Ironside was ordained as a Wesleyan Methodist missionary and arrived in the Hokianga in 1839. The following year, he was tasked with establishing a mission in the South Island. After visiting the Wellington settlement, he chose Ngakuta Bay (then known as Wesleydale) in Queen Charlotte Sound as his base due to its strategic position and large Māori population. He arrived in December 1840 with his wife, Sarah, and began the arduous work of building a church, a school, and a home.
At the Ngakuta Bay mission, Ironside preached to both Māori and the whalers who frequented the Sounds, translated hymns and biblical texts, and taught reading and writing to hundreds of local Māori.
His work was challenging, facing not only the hardships of pioneer life but also the complex inter-tribal politics of the time. Despite this, he gained a reputation for being energetic and committed, earning the trust of many influential chiefs, including those of Ngāti Toa.
The Wairau Affray and Aftermath
In June 1843, Samuel Ironside's role shifted dramatically. When news of the violent confrontation between Nelson settlers and Ngāti Toa chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata at the Wairau reached him, he immediately sought to mediate. He travelled to the site of the affray, where he conducted a Christian burial service for the Europeans who had been killed. His fluency in te reo Māori and his established relationships with Ngāti Toa leaders made him a key figure in the subsequent investigations. He accompanied the government investigator, Major Mathew Richmond, providing crucial translation and context during the tense meetings with Te Rauparaha. While unable to prevent the tragedy itself, his presence and reporting helped to temper the calls for retribution from settlers and provided a more balanced perspective on the conflict.
Later Life and Legacy
The Ngakuta Bay mission was effectively abandoned in 1844, and Ironside relocated to the Wellington region, continuing his missionary work there and later in Nelson and New Plymouth. In 1857, facing ill health, he left New Zealand for Australia, where he served as a minister in various cities for two decades before retiring. He died in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1897. Reverend Ironside's time in Marlborough was relatively brief but occurred at a pivotal moment. His mission at Ngakuta Bay was a significant early outpost of European settlement and education in the Sounds, and his actions during the Wairau Affray provide a valuable first-hand account of one of the most consequential events in New Zealand's colonial history.
