Māori Workers in Colonial New South Wales, c. 1803–40

On the afternoon of 30 March 1835, a funeral took place in the town of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), that was unusual in many ways. As the funeral procession made its way to the Strangers’ Burial Ground ‘at a very quick pace’, an observer noted that the deceased was conveyed not in a coffin but in a wooden musket case carried by four men. A grave was dug to a depth of five feet, and as the makeshift coffin was lowered one of the dead man’s friends stood at the head of the grave and read several chapters from the Bible. Another stood to the side and sprinkled a steady stream of sand over the coffin, while the observer also noted that the party ‘displayed a levity quite unsuited to the occasion.’2 The most unusual aspect of this funeral, though, or so it seemed to the observer, was...

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Coffin · Genealogy · Procession · Australian History and Society · History

• ‘Cut your Hōhā nonsense out!’

  Open Access•H Simon•Journal for Cultural Research•2026

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