ABSTRACT
New Zealand was the third most important of the Australian colonies in economic terms. Theoretically, this made it a destination worth exploiting. In practice, few theatrical managers had so far succeeded in exploiting it profitably. There were special difficulties associated with touring the colony. Just getting there was an expensive undertaking. It was 1,400 miles, or six days by ship, from Melbourne to the nearest major New Zealand port. Although the colony’s two main islands constituted a land mass equal to that of England and Wales put together, the population was sparse and the main settlements widely scattered along a vast coastline. The only sensible way for a large group such as an opera company to travel between settlements was by sea, which meant braving treacherous coastal waters and sometimes inadequate harbor facilities in the tiny steamers that shuttled from port to port. Keeping to a schedule could be difficult. It was not uncommon for a theatrical season to start late because the company’s arrival had been delayed by adverse winds. At other times reviews were tempered with sympathy for performers who had landed only a few hours earlier, after a rough passage from their previous stopping place.
