Shortland Street

The Shortland Street sign could be a target for souvenir hunters. Shortland Street, the television show, has been a runaway success and a test bed in the career of New Zealand actors. 

The television show was named for the location of the studio at 74 Shortland Street in Auckland where it was produced. We assume that both street names come from the same source.

Commander Willoughby Shortland RN (1804 -1869) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. Educated at the Royal Naval College, he entered the service in 1818. After being gazetted a lieutenant in 1828, he served in the West Indies until 1833.

In 1839, Shortland came to New Zealand with Captain William Hobson, the first governor. At Auckland on 29 January 1840, British sovereignty was proclaimed, and Lieutenant Shortland was appointed Colonial Secretary.

Treaty signings at Hokianga and at Kaitaia were witnessed by Willoughby Shortland. After Governor Hobson suffered a stroke in March, Shortland sent out the Manukau-Kawhia copy of the Treaty, for which the missionary John Whiteley collected signatories.

After Hobson's death on 10 September 1842, Shortland administered the government of New Zealand until the arrival of Captain Robert Fitzroy on 31 December 1843.

The killing of settlers at Wairau on 17 June 1843 took place during his acting governorship. In his despatches to the home government he blamed the settlers, who as an armed posse had set out from Nelson to arrest Te Rauparaha. Shortland's reaction was condemned, and a petition was circulated against his permanent appointment.

In 1843 he resigned as colonial secretary, and in 1845 became President of Nevis in the Caribbean. From 1854 until 1856 he was Governor of Tobago. Returning to England, he lived on his property in Devonshire, until his death there on 7 October, 1869.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.