'A hotbed of Orangeism': The Orange Order in Canterbury 1864-1908

Abstract

The Loyal Orange Institution is generally portrayed as an Irish Protestant product or even a Northern Irish one. Yet this obscures the fact that it spread rapidly across Britain's expanding Empire in the 19th Century. The fact that this Irish founded organization planted the 'Orange tree' in the most southern part of the world, the South Island of New Zealand, is worthy of investigation. This article will focus on Canterbury, as it was the source of Orangeism in the South Island. Focus initially will be the early years, as developments in Canterbury were quite separate from the North Island. Included in this is how it began, the profile of its leadership, parades and finally the social function of the Orange halls.