Chiefs of Industry

Drawing on a wide range of sources in both English and Maori, this study explores the entrepreneurial activity of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori in the early colonial period. Focusing on the two industries--coastal shipping and flourmilling--where Maori were spectacularly successful in the 1840s and 1850s, this title examines how such a society was able to develop capital-intensive investments and harness tribal ownership quickly and effectively to render commercial advantages. A discussion of the sudden decline in the "golden age” of Maori enterprise--from changing market conditions, to land alienation--is also included.