Old New Zealand: Tale of the Good Old Times by a Pakeha Māori

First published anonymously in 1863, this classic book recounts the experiences of Frederick Edward Maning (c.1811-83), an Anglo-Irish trader who emigrated to Tasmania with his family as a boy and later relocated to New Zealand.

A self-styled 'Pakeha-Māori' ('Pakeha' is the Māori word for a white New Zealander), Maning acquired land and settled down with a Māori woman, occupying a tenuous position between the two cultures. Observing that the old Māori way of life was rapidly disappearing due to the increased European presence in New Zealand, Maning endeavoured to record Māori customs and material culture before all knowledge of them disappeared.

Old New Zealand is a mixture of history, autobiography and anecdote, and the author insists all the incidents and people described are real. The language is informal, and the narrative vigorous and rapid, with lively dialogues and occasional Maori phrases. A glossary explains Māori words and concepts.