HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
added by Samuel and Ida Hurst

The New Zealand mission was originally an outgrowth of the Australian Mission. In 1854, at a conference held at Sydney, Australia, Augustus Farnham, President of the Mission, was assigned to open up the work in New Zealand. In company with William Cook, an Australian convert, he left Sydney October 10, 1854, and arrived in Auckland October 27th. Elder Cook was left in charge on December 11, 1854. By the end of March 1855, Elder Cook had baptized 10 persons at Karori, and organized them into a branch of the Church. In 1867 an Elder Asmussen, from Zion, came to labor in New Zealand. He baptized two persons, William and James Burnett, brothers, at Kaiapai on the South Island, and with the assistance of these two converts commenced missionary work at Christchurch. On June 6th 1867 Elder Asmussen left New Zealand placing William Burnett in charge of the branch at Kaiapai which consisted of seven members. In 1870 Robert Beaucamp, the President of the Australian Mission which included New Zealand, visited New Zealand, and with the assistance of the Burnett Brothers and Brother Henry Allington, a school teacher at Karori, reorganized the branch at Karori, which with some new converts consisted of 20 members, and appointed Henry Allington to preside over same. Shortly afterward left placing William Burnett in charge of the New Zealand Conference, assisted by his brother.

As usual persecution arose, and in 1871 the question of the Mormon invasion was considered sufficiently important to be brought before the Colonial Parliament, but no action was taken on account of insufficient evidence of malfeasance.

On December 30, 1871, the first company of emigrating saints from New Zealand on record, consisting of 11 souls left Auckland by steamship Nevada. The company arrived in Salt Lake City, February 10, 1872. Another company of 9 emigrating Saints, in charge of Henry Allington, left Wellington for San Francisco in April 1872.

In the Fall of 1875, five Elders from Zion came to labor in New Zealand, namely, William McLachlin, appointed to preside over the conference, Thomas Steed, Fred and Charles Hurst, and John T. Rich. They labored with some degree of success until January 1877, when the Utah Elders were called home.


Enc. His. of the Church. p 580