14 June 1843
175 years ago, the first group of organised German settlers to new Zealand landed in Nelson from the ship 'St Pauli'. Predominantly from Northern Germany and predominantly Lutheran, the St Pauli was only the 27th ship to arrive at the colony of Nelson. It carried 48 married adults, 26 single men, 7 seven women and 42 children. A month later, they were all deemed to be, by act of the NZ Legislative Council, 'natural born subjects of Her Majesty'.
For more information on the German experience in New Zealand, read:
Bade, James N (1993). The German connection: New Zealand and German-speaking Europe in the nineteenth century. Oxford University Press, Auckland ; New York. ISBN: 0195582837
The attached map comes from page 41 of that book