A Country Built on Rum – Roger Holmes

Captain James Cook said farewell to his pregnant wife Elizabeth at Mile End Road in the East End of London in 1768 and made his way to Plymouth, where the Endeavour awaited. Along with 100 men, sauerkraut, fruit, six bags of freshly baked bread, four tons of beer, 185 pounds of Devonshire cheeses, fresh meat, salt beef by the ton, biscuits, vinegar, 604 gallons of rum, guns, 12 barrels of powder, round shot, muskets, pistols, spare sails and trinkets were loaded onto the vessel. Fifteen months later, 12 year old Nicholas Young, the surgeon’s boy first spotted New Zealand and was awarded a gallon of rum for his efforts. Combined with his daily ration, his booty meant there was plenty of rum for everyone on the evening of October 7, 1769.

Like many countries before, rum played an important role in the colonisation of New Zealand. It is without doubt that the first liquor to land — and to be enjoyed — on the shores of New Zealand was rum. Sailors were tough back then and they drank their rum strong, at 94 proof (47% alc/v). Their daily ration of one pint for men and half a pint for the boys was spread out between 12 noon and 6pm. Sailors who couldn’t get enough of the tasty drop risked their lives and would steal from the ship’s main supply to get their hands on the precious spirit. Ship logbooks were peppered with records of crew stealing rum, who were then flogged and beaten for their efforts.

The craving for the great spirit did not end here. Moving forward 100 years in New Zealand’s history to 1866, the census shows imports into Auckland and the preference of drinkers at the time:

71,000 gallons of rum

60,900 gallons of brandy

41,100 gallons of wine

6,500 gallons of whiskey

5700 gallons of gin

4500 gallons of Geneva (gin)

Rum running was rife in New Zealand during this period and was especially prevalent on the coastline between Auckland and the Whangarei Heads. This was our very own ‘rum row’ where schooners laden with hidden rum would unload contraband under the unsuspecting noses of excise officers. The ships would  then cruise their way south making several drops along the way before their final destination in Auckland.

A famous exchange point was just inside Takatu Point in Omaha Bay where the smugglers would signal local boatman to come and collect barrels of rum. Rum runners would head out to the bay in whale boats and collect the precious stash of rum then return to shore and bury the illegal goods in the sand on the beach until it could be picked up. The final link in the rum running chain were horseman who collected the goods and rode their horses through the night on the preferred back door trail into Auckland. Clever buggers.