Maori 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 that the entire service was conducted in Maori, and that the dead man, the four pallbearers, and all of the other mourners were Maori.