Sir Harry Atkinson, 1831-92 By Judith Bassett.

Sir Harry Atkinson, 1831-92 By Judith Bassett.

Publisher: Auckland University Press, 1975, First Edition.

Very good hardback with jacket. Book is in excellent near new condition with no inscriptions. Jacket is rubbed and chipped at edges.

In 1860, when war broke out in Taranaki, Harry Atkinson was appointed captain of No 2 Company of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers. He fought at Waireka and hoetahi during the first Taranaki war. When fighting recommenced in 1863 he organised an irregular force of 50 'bushrangers' drawn from his old company. He long remained a firm advocate of Taranaki settler interests against Māori resistance. When Parihaka became a major issue in 1879 81 he was, though not directly involved as a minister, a firm advocate of the detention of prisoners without trial and of a show of force in Taranaki, though he also favoured the provision of reserves for Te Whiti and his people. Atkinson was elected a member of the House of Representatives, representing Grey and Bell, in 1861. On 24 November 1864 he became minister for colonial defence in the Weld ministry. An extremely active minister, Atkinson spent as much time as possible in the field and energetically promoted military settlements.

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