This fascinating book is the first to explore the entrepreneurial activity of Maori in the early colonial period. It focuses on two industries, coastal shipping and flourmilling, where Maori were spectacularly successful in the 1840s and 1850s - the 'golden age' of Maori enterprise. Historian Hazel Petrie shows how quickly and effectively Maori society adapted to accommodate and develop such capital-intensive investments, harnessing tribal ownership, existing skills and a keen eye for commercial advantage. She also charts the sudden decline of Maori economic success by the 1860s, as market conditions, a rapidly increasing and individualistic Pakeha population, land alienation, and other factors had a severe impact. Chiefs of Industry draws on a wide range of sources in both English and Maori, is attractively illustrated and is written with clarity and elegance. Fascinating for general readers and essential for historians, researchers, teachers and students of history, business, commerce, law, politics or Maori Studies, libraries.

Author Biography

Born in England but raised in New Zealand, Hazel Petrie has a BA in History and Maori Studies, an MA in History and PhD in Maori Studies from The University of Auckland. Currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Mira Szaszy Research Centre for Maori and Pacific Economic Development at The University of Auckland, Dr Petrie's research interests include New Zealand and Pacific history, British history (especially 19th century social history), Maori society, oral traditions and language. Over the last 10 years she has focussed particularly on Maori economic history; Pakeha representations of a Maori work ethic and history of Northland. For six years, she was involved in the 'Kimihea to Mea Ngaro' project concerning 19th-century Maori newspapers. Her work here inspired her PhD thesis and then her book Chiefs of Industry: Maori Tribal Enterprise in Early Colonial New Zealand. She has contributed chapters to the books Rere Atu Taku Manu: Discovering History, Language and Politics in the Maori Language Newspapers, 1842 - 1933 and City of Enterprise: Perspectives on Auckland's Business History, and has also written or delivered academic papers on related topics. Dr Petrie is married to a Te Rarawa businessman and has two adult sons.