327:, saying, "It is unfortunate that the remedy we propose should have an aspect of selfishness. For we say to them, and justly, 'Sell three-fourths of your lands, and cease to be nomads, if you wish to save your race from extinction.' They not unnaturally decline the prescription when the fee is apparently so large. So the matter rests for the present. Time and the natural progress of events will, nevertheless, shortly either enforce the prescription and exact the fee, or consign the refractory patients to a swift and sure destruction."
397:, the general agent for the government in Auckland. On 17 January, Firth met Te Kooti. Firth told Te Kooti he had come to listen, as he had no power to offer any terms. They talked for some time with Te Kooti emphasising he would not surrender but wanted to be left in peace to live at Tapapa. Firth noted that although Te Kooti was unarmed he was backed by a semi circle of heavily armed men with modern weapons in good condition. He told Firth: "If they let me alone I will live quietly; if not I will fight."
409:, were irate "with that meddlesome sweep Firth." The military were instructed to attack Te Kooti whether Firth was with him or not. For Te Kooti the whole meeting may have been another ruse, as shortly afterwards Chief Te Hiri from Coromandel arrived and gave Te Kooti a huge quantity of gunpowder (7 kegs) and a bag of bullets 2 feet (0.61 m) high. In fact, Te Kooti had "predicted" he would be given the ammunition down to the exact day and time. indicating the resupply mission had been prearranged.
420:
33:
369:
was leased for a rental of up to five hundred pounds a year. Two years later he bought outright some of the land covered by the lease and this became the basis of his estate at
Matamata. By 1865, Firth had leased 55,000 acres (22,000 ha). "The fern and bracken covered plains was burnt and soon
400:
The government sent word to Firth that they had nothing to say to Te Kooti apart from if he surrendered he would be given safe conduct to
Auckland. This telegram crossed with one from Firth outlining Te Kooti's wishes. But Te Kooti had aroused too much fear and hatred for his offer to be accepted,
373:
He built his first homestead near Peria where
Tamihana had earlier established a missionary station. When Tamihana died in 1866 Firth had a monument built at the place he died with an inscription that said it was Tamihana's will that Firth stay on the Matamata land as long as he (Firth) chose.
364:
In 1865 with the establishment of peace in the
Waikato, Firth was able to lease land from Tamihana of Ngati Haua, a kingitanga tribe. Tamihana, who was a Christian, had been at the core of the Kingite movement but was at heart a man of peace. A large area of land around
435:—that he had previously leased, and extended the building. To the rear of the wooden Gothic house he erected a large wing in the castellated style which included a 15-metre (49 ft) tall tower, completed in 1873. This structure was built in unreinforced
443:, the tower contained a water tank so the up-to-date indoor plumbing had good water pressure. The tower also contained a study for Firth in which he arranged a small museum of geological items and other curiosities. The house is a Category 1
244:
Firth, were involved in industry, controlling an iron works. When Firth was seven years old, his mother died. He was raised by his father and a servant and received a well-rounded education. The fortunes of his father declined after the
393:. From his base at Tapapa, near Tirau, Te Kooti sent a message to Firth to meet him at Tamihana's monument. Firth claimed to have inherited Tamihana's "mantle of patience". Before the meeting Firth contacted
237:, England, on 27 October 1826, Firth was the son of a reverend and headmaster whose family had interests in farming, with investments in the wool trade. The family of his mother, Mary
488:
New
Zealand agriculture went through a serious depression during the 1880s, one which hit Firth hard, and in 1889 he was declared bankrupt. Later he began to develop a trade in
846:
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as had happened in the
Wairarapa. This contravened the Treaty of Waitangi but had been a mechanism used from time to time in localised issues when Māori agreed.
856:
432:
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of snags and obstacles to navigation thus opening the upper reaches of the Thames
Estuary to shipping. He was the author of "Our Kin across the Sea".
861:
311:, establishing a business making bricks. He also took a one third interest in a steam powered flour mill in 1856. In 1859 he made his first visit to
307:
In 1854, Firth left
England to travel to Australia. After a brief period in Victoria and New South Wales, he moved onto New Zealand and settled in
213:(27 October 1826 – 11 December 1897) was a New Zealand farmer, businessman and politician who had a brief brush with fame as the messenger between
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470:'s 1871 house 'Loganbank' in Official Bay has been demolished. As a member of the Beresford Street Congregationalist Church in
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and Firth took up farming in
Yorkshire for a few years, before going to work for his mother's family, managing an iron works.
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tower and likewise an extension to an earlier wooden residence. Known as Firth Tower, it is part of the
Matamata museum.
374:
Meanwhile, his businesses in Auckland were prospering and he was able to lease a very fine house on the eastern side of
378:
from John Ogilvie (1839?–1871) Secretary to the Auckland Board of Commissioners (in 1871 he would purchase the house).
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466:. Firth's two concrete structures are now some of the earliest examples of concrete construction in the country, as
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listed building. In 1882 at Matamata he constructed a second castellated tower, a slightly smaller version of the
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and England. He died suddenly on 11 December 1897 just as the venture was becoming successful, and was buried at
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715:
439:, an experimental material for the period. As well as providing a vantage point with splendid views of the
610:
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Firth championed the use of concrete as a building material and significantly, Firth's younger grandsons
401:
and it was rejected out of hand. There was also considerable official annoyance with Firth. The Premier,
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Firth Tower and Stanley landing. Historical Reserves Management Plan Matamata District Council.
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In 1882, Firth arranged a grand reception in the grounds of Clifton House for the Māori King,
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during a tour of the Waikato he published in 1860. His account ended with a prophecy of the
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481:. Firth had played a part in the establishment of Tāwhiao's father, the Waikato chief
346:. Firth was always able to borrow finance to capitalise his many innovative schemes.
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In Auckland he was one of a small group of highly influential business men such as
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357:, and resigned on 30 April 1862. He promoted the purchase of land directly from
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based on its properties of insulation and fire resistance, travelling to the
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Early in 1870 Josiah, or Hohaia as he was known to Māori, was contacted by
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Redemption Songs. J. Binney. p. 198–201. Auckland University Press. 1996.
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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Auckland Provincial District
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Cyclopedia Company Limited (1902). "Mr. Josiah Clifton Firth".
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Nation Making: A Story of New Zealand; Savagism v. Civilisation
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32:
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Firth Tower and Stanley Landing.. Matamata District Council.
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and Thomas Morrin. They had significant influence on The
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In 1873, Firth began a seven-year project to clear the
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Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
370:sown in grassland and feed crops such as turnips."
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431:In 1871 Firth purchased his Auckland residence—
344:New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company
16:New Zealand farmer, businessman and politician
385:during his flight from Te Porere through the
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723:. London: Hutchinson & Co – via
695:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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857:Burials at St Stephen's Cemetery, Parnell
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349:Firth briefly entered Parliament for the
862:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
743:New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero
721:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography
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550:Portrait in Mosaic of Ann Clifton Firth
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541:The Golden Age of Josiah Clifton Firth
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217:and the New Zealand Government during
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315:where he met and became friends with
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877:19th-century New Zealand politicians
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652:Redemption Songs. J. Binney. p. 200
585:Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
580:"Firth, Josiah Clifton – Biography"
500:in the Auckland suburb of Parnell.
485:, as the first Māori King in 1858.
13:
527:. London: Longmans, Green, and Co.
516:. London: Longmans, Green, and Co.
197:and New Zealand Government during
14:
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611:"New Zealander | 28 January 1860"
590:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
872:British emigrants to New Zealand
842:19th-century New Zealand farmers
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760:
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882:People of the New Zealand Wars
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655:
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552:. Christchurch: Pegasus Books.
543:. Christchurch: Pegasus Books.
521:Firth, Josiah Clifton (1890).
510:Firth, Josiah Clifton (1888).
353:electorate. He was elected in
252:
1:
801:. 13 December 1897. p. 4
716:"Firth, Josiah Clifton"
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548:Gordon, Mona Clifton (1973).
539:Gordon, Mona Clifton (1963).
224:
7:
532:
10:
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837:New Zealand businesspeople
793:"Mr J. C. Firth's funeral"
185:Businessman and politician
615:paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
462:would go on to found the
319:, the King Maker and met
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71: – 30 April 1862
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425:Maungawhau / Mount Eden
325:Invasion of the Waikato
513:Our Kin Across the Sea
464:Firth Concrete Company
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260:New Zealand Parliament
50:New Zealand Parliament
867:People from Brighouse
498:St Stephen's Cemetery
483:Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
423:Clifton as seen from
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293:City of Auckland West
169:Anne Firth (Williams)
73:Serving with
852:People from Matamata
747:Heritage New Zealand
445:Heritage New Zealand
211:Josiah Clifton Firth
134:, Yorkshire, England
119:Josiah Clifton Firth
468:John Logan Campbell
340:Bank of New Zealand
332:John Logan Campbell
263:
247:1847 economic crash
772:Firth Tower Museum
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407:John Davies Ormond
336:Frederick Whitaker
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193:Messenger between
37:Firth in the 1880s
441:Waitematā Harbour
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142:11 December 1897
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110:Personal details
100:James Williamson
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146:(aged 71)
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768:"Firth Tower"
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395:Daniel Pollen
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887:Firth family
803:. Retrieved
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679:. Retrieved
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504:Publications
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414:Waihou River
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389:and back to
387:King Country
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329:
321:King Pōtatau
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284:–1862
228:
210:
209:
144:(1897-12-11)
95:Succeeded by
87:
63:
25:Josiah Firth
18:
832:1897 deaths
827:1826 births
403:Willian Fox
300:Independent
273:Electorate
253:New Zealand
160:Independent
83:Preceded by
821:Categories
777:10 January
752:10 January
725:Wikisource
558:References
449:Mount Eden
391:Te Urewera
376:Mount Eden
225:Early life
182:Occupation
125:1826-10-27
739:"Clifton"
691:cite book
235:Yorkshire
190:Known for
64:In office
713:(1892).
595:31 March
533:See also
437:concrete
383:Te Kooti
367:Matamata
342:and the
313:Matamata
309:Auckland
229:Born in
215:Te Kooti
195:Te Kooti
174:Children
149:Auckland
620:14 June
479:Tāwhiao
433:Clifton
427:in 2018
231:Clifton
132:Clifton
805:16 May
681:8 June
490:pumice
276:Party
267:Years
166:Spouse
359:Māori
270:Term
807:2015
779:2021
754:2021
697:link
683:2010
622:2018
597:2012
460:Tony
458:and
355:1861
282:1861
139:Died
115:Born
69:1861
54:for
456:Ted
288:3rd
240:née
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