In the beginning
It’s a far cry from the handful 46 Indians first recorded living in New Zealand in 1896.
Most of these early migrants, coming from Punjab and Gujarat, and were temporary labourers and were listed as “pedlars, hawkers, and domestics”.
Also, they were also overwhelmingly men. In 1896, only one Indian woman was listed as resident in New Zealand. Records show that most of these early migrants did not intend staying here, but wanted to earn money before returning home.
Migration increased until 1920, when the New Zealand Government introduced restrictions under a “permit system”. By this time, there were just over 2000 Indians in New Zealand.
The number of Indian women had grown to 142, as some of the Indian men living here sent home for their wives or, if they were single, for brides.
Today, people of Indian origin – including those from India, Fiji, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius – number a staggering 120,000-plus living in New Zealand.
And more than 90 per cent of these appear to be in Auckland, with most intrinsically making their presence felt at cultural outings – be it Diwali, a Bollywood show, or religious function.
Indians in New Zealand have, over the years, contributed significantly to the growth of New Zealand as a nation in all walks of life – politics and governance, business, agriculture, sports and community.
In the early days, the New Zealand Indian community was still overwhelmingly a society of men. Many of them lived and worked communally. Around this time, there was increasing prejudice and fear about Asian migrants.
The discrimination Indian migrants encountered, and their increased commitment to settling in New Zealand permanently, led to the formation of the New Zealand Indian Central Association in 1926.
Indians tended to settle in concentrated pockets rather than throughout the country. Punjabis settled in Waipa, Waikato, Otorohanga, and Taumarunui, while Gujaratis settled in Auckland, Pukekohe, and Wellington.
Until the 1980s, over 90 per cent of New Zealand Indians traced their roots to Gujarat. The next biggest group (six per cent) came from the Punjab.
In 1981, Fiji Indians accounted for less than 14 per cent of Indians resident here. At this stage, just under 45 per cent of a total New Zealand Indian population of 11,577 had been born in New Zealand, while 31 per cent had been born in India.
Since the early 1980s, the total number of Indians resident in New Zealand increased dramatically – triggered by the military coup upheavals in Fiji where the Indian population numbered more than 50 per cent.
Today, the exodus of Indians from Fiji continues with the population hovering around 35 per cent.
It’s a far cry from the handful 46 Indians first recorded living in New Zealand in 1896.
Most of these early migrants, coming from Punjab and Gujarat, and were temporary labourers and were listed as “pedlars, hawkers, and domestics”.
Also, they were also overwhelmingly men. In 1896, only one...
It’s a far cry from the handful 46 Indians first recorded living in New Zealand in 1896.
Most of these early migrants, coming from Punjab and Gujarat, and were temporary labourers and were listed as “pedlars, hawkers, and domestics”.
Also, they were also overwhelmingly men. In 1896, only one Indian woman was listed as resident in New Zealand. Records show that most of these early migrants did not intend staying here, but wanted to earn money before returning home.
Migration increased until 1920, when the New Zealand Government introduced restrictions under a “permit system”. By this time, there were just over 2000 Indians in New Zealand.
The number of Indian women had grown to 142, as some of the Indian men living here sent home for their wives or, if they were single, for brides.
Today, people of Indian origin – including those from India, Fiji, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius – number a staggering 120,000-plus living in New Zealand.
And more than 90 per cent of these appear to be in Auckland, with most intrinsically making their presence felt at cultural outings – be it Diwali, a Bollywood show, or religious function.
Indians in New Zealand have, over the years, contributed significantly to the growth of New Zealand as a nation in all walks of life – politics and governance, business, agriculture, sports and community.
In the early days, the New Zealand Indian community was still overwhelmingly a society of men. Many of them lived and worked communally. Around this time, there was increasing prejudice and fear about Asian migrants.
The discrimination Indian migrants encountered, and their increased commitment to settling in New Zealand permanently, led to the formation of the New Zealand Indian Central Association in 1926.
Indians tended to settle in concentrated pockets rather than throughout the country. Punjabis settled in Waipa, Waikato, Otorohanga, and Taumarunui, while Gujaratis settled in Auckland, Pukekohe, and Wellington.
Until the 1980s, over 90 per cent of New Zealand Indians traced their roots to Gujarat. The next biggest group (six per cent) came from the Punjab.
In 1981, Fiji Indians accounted for less than 14 per cent of Indians resident here. At this stage, just under 45 per cent of a total New Zealand Indian population of 11,577 had been born in New Zealand, while 31 per cent had been born in India.
Since the early 1980s, the total number of Indians resident in New Zealand increased dramatically – triggered by the military coup upheavals in Fiji where the Indian population numbered more than 50 per cent.
Today, the exodus of Indians from Fiji continues with the population hovering around 35 per cent.
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