New Books Network Charlotte Macdonald, "Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire" (Bridget Williams Books, 2025)
Dec 11, 2025
In this discussion, historian Charlotte Macdonald shares insights from her work on British soldiers during the 19th century in New Zealand and the broader empire. She highlights the transformation of New Zealand post-1840 and the impact of military presence on local economies and society. Macdonald connects conflicts from the Indian Rebellion to unrest in Jamaica, illustrating how global events influenced colonial violence. She also examines the decline of the garrison system by 1870, touching on the legacies of land loss and changing Māori-Pākehā relations.
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From Intimacy To Imperial Violence
- The book began from a personal archival discovery linking intimate colonial relationships to later violence.
- Charlotte Macdonald traces how close everyday ties between settlers and Māori transformed into violent imperial conflict within decades.
Garrison As Everyday State Builder
- The military shaped New Zealand beyond battle, acting economically, socially and culturally across decades.
- Macdonald argues the garrison underpinned settler society as much by everyday presence as by warfare.
1840: Treaty, Annexation, Settlers
- 1840 marked treaty, annexation, and the New Zealand Company settler push, starting formal colonial governance.
- Macdonald notes New Zealand began as a Māori-dominant place with long prior exchange before formal colonisation.
