Book review

Fitz – the colonial adventures of James Edward Fitzgerald.
AUTHOR Jennifer Roberts

This is a substantial book and every page is full of action. If it was a work of fiction it would be dismissed as being too far fetched, however it follows the life of a very real and remarkable man.

Fitz was the fourth son , his father owning huge estates Ireland. His was a very privileged upbringing and a carefree, workfree young adulthood. However Fitz was well aware that on his father’s death the estates would pass to the eldest son and he would have to look after himself.

The proposal to set up an idealistic English colony in New Zealand caught his attention and with his charming personality and good education he had no trouble in getting himself involved as an organizer. He married Fanny who was only eighteen and , like himself, from a well off family and had never so much as boiled an egg.

They travelled to New Zealand on the Charlotte Jane the first ship to arrive at Canterbury . Here it was the usual colonizing story of learning skills by trial and error , setbacks and eventual success in establishing a basic village of which Fitz becoming the natural leader.

He was a hyper active ideas man and as well as obtaining large block in the initial land allotment he soon had several other enterprises on the go. These including the establishment of the Christchurch Press which continues to this day. He should have been a rich man. However an obsession with politics proved his Achilles’ heal.
Time devoted to politics resulted in farm and businesses not being given the needed attention resulting in many forced sales over the years.

As with everything in his life he was very active as a politician first as the Canterbury Provincial Superintendent then, with the establishment of a parliament, the member for Christchurch. He clashed frequently with Governor Grey, particularly in regard to the Governor’s attitude to Maori land rights and the confiscations of the fertile Waikato land.

One battle he did win was having parliament shifted from Auckland to Wellington, another interesting chapter in this book.

Author Jennifer Roberts’ writing style is perfect for this book, this is real New Zealand history which reads as an exciting novel. I found myself becoming very angry at Fitz’s thoughtless treatment of his clearly adoring wife. Or despairing at his neglect of his businesses in favour of yet another political campaign.

This is an attractively produced book which would make a brilliant Christmas present. Or great holiday reading – available at the library.
Mike Beckett