Joel Samuel Polack (28 March 1807 – 17 April 1882) was an English-born New Zealand and American businessman and writer. He was one of the first Jewish settlers in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, arriving in 1831. He is regarded as an authority on pre-colonial New Zealand and his two books are often cited. He was a maternal uncle of Alexander Salmon.

Early life

Joel Samuel Polack was born in London, England on 28 March 1807 to Sarah and Solomon Joel Polack (died 1839). Originally from

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

, the family had settled in Ireland and then England where Soloman was a successful painter and engraver. Polack worked for the War Office (Commissariat and Ordnance) for four years, serving in South Africa and in

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

, before leaving to travel in America. In 1830 he joined his brother Abraham in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

First visit to New Zealand

In 1831 he arrived in New Zealand and settled in the

Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long Estuary, estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Mā ...

, exploring the surrounding area as well as

Poverty Bay Poverty Bay (Māori language, Māori: ''Tūranganui-a-Kiwa''), officially named Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay, is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawke Bay. It stretches for ...

and the

East Cape East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is at the northern end of the Gisborne District of the North Island. East Cape was originally named "Cape East" by British explorer James Cook during his 1769–1779 voy ...

. As such he was one of the first Jews in the colony. In 1832 he moved to

Kororāreka Russell () is a town in the Bay of Islands, in New Zealand's far north. It was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. History Māori settlement Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area now known as Russ ...

(now Russell) in the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for ...

, establishing a successful general store. In 1835 he built New Zealand's first brewery, later getting into New Zealand's first duel with the neighbouring innkeeper. Critical of

James Busby James Busby (7 February 1802 – 15 July 1871) was the British Resident in New Zealand from 1833 to 1840. He was involved in drafting the 1835 Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. As British Residen ...

's weak administration he signed the 1837 petition requesting the British government assume responsibility for the protection and government of European settlers.

Return to England

He returned to England in 1837 and the following year his Kororareka store, which had been used against his wishes to store military and naval explosives, was destroyed in an explosion. He fought unsuccessfully for years for compensation. In 1838 he appeared before a

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

Select Committee advocating planned colonisation of New Zealand. He believed that unorganised European settlement would destroy

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

society. He wrote two successful books based on his experiences in New Zealand, which he also illustrated. These books are an invaluable insight into pre-colonial New Zealand.

Second visit to New Zealand

Polack returned to New Zealand in 1842 but his store was destroyed again in 1845, when

was attacked by

Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...

—the

Battle of Kororāreka The Battle of Kororāreka, or the Burning of Kororāreka, on 11 March 1845, was an engagement of the Flagstaff War in New Zealand. Following the establishment of British control of the islands, war broke out with a small group of the native popu ...

commencing the

Flagstaff War The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of H� ...

. He moved to

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

(the new capital) where he operated a

bonded warehouse A bonded warehouse, or bond, is a building or other secured area in which imported but dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. They may then be again exported without payment of duty. ...

and branched out into shipping, profiting from trade with California. From 1845 to 1848 he was the vice consul for the United States of America.

Later life

In 1850 Polack left New Zealand for California. He settled in San Francisco, where he married Mary, the widow of William Hart (who had both lived in New Zealand). He died on 17 April 1882 (28 Nisan 5642) in San Francisco and was buried in the Laurel Hill cemetery. In 1946 his remains were moved to the Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Writings

* ''New Zealand; Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures during a Residence in that Country between the Years 1831 and 1837'' (1838). Full tex
Vol. IVol. II
* ''Manners and Customs of the New Zealanders'' (1840). Full tex
Vol. IVol. II

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polack, Joel Samuel 1807 births 1882 deaths American brewers American businesspeople in retailing American business writers American male non-fiction writers American people of British-Jewish descent British business writers Jewish British writers Merchants from London Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area English emigrants to New Zealand English Jews Jewish American non-fiction writers New Zealand writers New Zealand businesspeople in retailing New Zealand emigrants to the United States New Zealand Jews New Zealand people of Dutch-Jewish descent Businesspeople from Auckland People from the Hokianga Jewish New Zealand history 19th-century English businesspeople Flagstaff War 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (San Francisco) Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park