The assimilation of Vogel’s Scandinavian migrants into colonial New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History, Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

To the very ‘English’ environment of 1870s New Zealand, thousands of Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians arrived with the invitation and financial assistance of the colonial government. Into the mélange of English, Scots, Welsh, and Irish, these Scandinavians quickly disappeared as a cultural entity. In existing literature there are strong indications of a conscious willingness to assimilate, and to relocate from (initially) culturally homogenous bush settlements for colonial communities elsewhere. But factors of the migrant experience that prompted assimilation have not been addressed in detail, nor have those changes been mapped over time. In this thesis these gaps in the literature are addressed through exploration of the pressures to assimilate in the environment of the colony, and multi-dimensional indicators of what was happening and why. This involved tracking an indicative population of migrants; those that arrived aboard the Ballarat and Hovding in 1872, and their descendants. Primary sources including newspapers, periodicals, memoires, and government records (including naturalisation, land ownership, marriage, birth, and probate) were utilised, supported by secondary sources such as academic literature, local histories, family histories, and archival databases. This research has found rapid adoption of ‘English’ cultural practices; first publicly, then later in private life. While initially isolated, and refreshed with new migrants, the pressures to change were significant. Language changed quickly, with the adoption of English as a second language a necessity, swiftly transitioning to almost universal usage even among family. Those that that arrived knowing Scandinavian languages kept them but rarely passed them on. Religion and literature failed as cultural anchors; Lutheran parishioner numbers fell inexorably, and no literate traditions were passed down. High intermarriage rates among single adult migrants, and very high rates among children born to migrant families after arrival, indicate both willingness to merge into the majority culture, and lack of nativist rejection by the ‘English’. Migrants commonly Anglicised their names and the names of their children, indicating a conscious desire to fit in. Within a generation, despite demonstrated pride in their heritage, the cultural uniqueness of the Scandinavians was essentially gone.