George Clarke

George Clarke (29 June 1823 – 10 March 1913) was an Australian-born New Zealand colonial official, pioneer, Congregational minister and educationist.

Early life George Clarke was born in Parramatta, New South Wales, on 29 June 1823. His father was the Revd George Clarke, an early missionary to New Zealand with the Church Missionary Society. The family moved to New Zealand in 1822 where his father worked at the Waimate mission, teaching the Māori students.

In 1832 Clarke was sent to Hobart, Australia to study at R.W. Giblin's school, and later returned to New Zealand in 1837 to study under the Reverend William Williams. He accompanied Williams to Poverty Bay in 1839 where he acquired knowledge of the Māori language and Māori society, which proved valuable in his later career The inquiry investigated the validity of the purchases of Māori land by the New Zealand Company prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. He was strongly criticised by the company's representatives as taking the Māori side too often in the disputes. Eventually the claims of the company were reduced. New Plymouth and Manawatu were shown to have been purchased correctly but in most other cases the New Zealand Company had to pay further sums to Māori as compensation.

In 1844 Clarke was sent to Otago to assist with the purchasing of a large block of land, securing some 400,000 acres, whilst also working to preserve the Māori village cultivations and burial grounds. Clarke wrote the original Māori deed and English translation, later taking pride that no disputes arose over the transaction.

Publications

Notes on Early Life in New Zealand (1903) Short Liturgies for Congregational Worship