| "The Albertlanders" was the name was given to a group of colonists who settled at Port Albert, on the Kaipara Harbour, north of Auckland during 1862/1863. At the time the provincial government in Auckland was offering Special Settlement Schemes to encourage development in the north. This particular proposed settlement was named "Albertland" in honour of Queen Victoria's consort who had died the previous year.
On 29 May 1862 1,000 emigrants left London on two ships, "Matilda Wattenbach" and "Hanover" bound for New Zealand. Two members of the newly formed Settlement Committee travelled to New Zealand to inspect the various blocks of land being proposed, and subsequently reported back. They recommended a 30,000 acre block on the Oruawharo River, on the upper reaches of the Kaipara Harbour.
Under the terms of the settlement grant, every man would be allotted a 40-acre block by ballot. After working the land for five years he would be granted freehold title to the land. If the applicant had a wife and child, the allotment was increased to 100 acres.
After more than three months at sea, the settlers arrived in Auckland. The journey to the proposed settlement site was very difficult as there were inadequate roads and no river fords along the way. Many decided to stay in Auckland after hearing of the adverse conditions. Jobs were plentiful at this stage and housing readily available. However, about half of the original thousand decided to make the journey north.
On arriving at the "township" of Port Albert the settlers found that the promised allotments had not been surveyed, and because of the wet bush it was impossible to build any sort of permanent dwelling during the spring. Many made the trip back to Auckland.
In October, the first land sales were held. The land was slowly cleared of bush and gardens and orchards were planted. The settlers grew maize, wheat and potatoes. Wild pigs and cattle supplied the occasional meal.
The settlers were very isolated in these early days and as there was no common meeting-place, hall or church sometimes neighbours did not see each other for months at a time. From the very early days a Sunday church service was held in one of the settler's homes, but owing to limited space and the condition of the newly made roads, usually only one or two families attended at one time.
During the 1870s there was a marked improvement for the settlers and work was more plentiful - mainly bush-felling and fencing. Six more ships eventually bought more settlers to the district and prosperity replaced the earlier hardships faced by the first settlers.
Today the only reminder of the settlement of Albertland is the Albertland Museum and the Minniesdale Chapel which was built in 1867. The land surrounding Port Albert consists of farmland, some orchards, saw-milling and a lime-works.
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