author

Edward Shortland

1812–1893

A doctor, government official, and gifted linguist, he became one of the early European writers to record Māori language, traditions, and life in New Zealand. His journeys through the South Island and close attention to local knowledge made his work especially valuable.

1 Audiobook

Maori Religion and Mythology Illustrated by Translations of Traditions, Karakia, &c., to Which Are Added Notes on Maori Tenure of Land

Maori Religion and Mythology Illustrated by Translations of Traditions, Karakia, &c., to Which Are Added Notes on Maori Tenure of Land

by Edward Shortland

About the author

Born in Devon in 1812, Edward Shortland studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and later trained in medicine. He went on to build an unusually varied career as a physician, colonial administrator, explorer, and scholar of Māori language and culture.

Shortland is best remembered for his work in New Zealand in the 1840s. Te Ara describes him as an explorer, Māori scholar, and interpreter, and notes that his knowledge of te reo Māori and his interest in Māori life and traditions shaped some of his most important writing. His travels in Otago and Southland, including information gathered from Māori communities, fed into his book The Southern Districts of New Zealand and helped preserve early records of southern Māori life.

He later returned to England, where he continued his medical and scholarly work. According to the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, he died near Plymouth on July 1, 1893. No suitable verified portrait image was confirmed from the sources I checked, so none is included here.