The Poetry and Fiction of Scottish Settlers in New Zealand

Abstract

Eight distinctly Scottish voices sound in the literature of New Zealand settlement: John Barr, William Golder, Alexander Bathgate, Dugald Ferguson, Wilhelmina Sherriff Elliot, Hugh Smith, Bannerman Kaye and Jessie Mackay. These writers remain nostalgic for their homeland, but also speak critically of the economic misery and class oppression they have left behind. Yet Scotland as a cultural and historical entity inspires eulogies to the ideals of freedom, justice and truth embodied in heroes such as William Wallace, the Covenanters and Robert Burns. The Scottish settlers seek to shape a New Zealand which transforms these egalitarian ideals into a lived reality. The authors are also linked in their meditation on the legacy of Presbyterianism. For most the Kirk is a beacon of morality and equality, but others challenge the Calvinist rhetoric of self-denial and retribution. This article aims to identify common themes and tropes in the fiction and poetry of New Zealand authors of Scottish birth and heritage from 1860–1946 and to examine the complex attitudes these authors articulate towards both Scotland and their adopted antipodean home.