Italian New Zealanders

[7][8] Nevertheless, it is only since 1860 that the country witnessed the arrival of a number of educated individuals who had left Italy for non-economic reasons, such as missionaries, musicians, artists, professionals and businesspeople.

In December 1860, a small group of Franciscan priests from Italy came to New Zealand with Bishop Pompallier to set up a Catholic mission for Māori.

Italian migrants who intended to leave for New Zealand had to use German shipping lines that called at the ports of Genoa and Naples no more than once a month.

These included a group of about 230 men of various occupations recruited by an agent in the Livorno area of northern Italy in 1875.

[6][16] One group of Italians was sent to Jackson's Bay in Westland to grow grapes and mulberry trees, but this scheme was a failure as the weather was not suited to these crops.

From the 1920s a number of these fishermen moved to Island Bay in Wellington, where there was already an Italian presence from the nineteenth century migrations.

[20] Since then a ceremony by the Catholic church has been held each year to bless the boats, in a tradition dating back to southern Italy.

Most of these families came from southern Italy, from Sorrento, Massa Lubrense, S. Agata and Marina di Puolo.

[23] During World War 1 there was tension when "British" market gardeners in Nelson objected to having to do military service while "aliens" could stay home with their families.

Italian traditions such as a mass for Santa Barbara, patron saint of tunnellers and miners, were also acknowledged.

[9] In 1992, Club Garibaldi published a book about the Italian history of Wellington, titled Alla Fine Del Mondo – To the Ends of the Earth, authored by Paul Elenio.

Its mission is "to preserve and honour the culture, traditions and heritage of the Italian community and to maintain the historical facility as a functioning memorial to the working-class immigrants".