Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Charlotte Macdonald on "Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and Across the British Empire" (Bridget Williams Books, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this episode of the New Books Network, host Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Dr. Charlotte Macdonald about her latest book, Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and Across the British Empire. The discussion delves into the complex history of British military presence in colonial New Zealand, its ties across the British Empire, and the wide-ranging impacts—military, economic, social, and cultural—of “redcoat” garrisons from 1840 to 1870. Macdonald’s research sheds new light on the entangled histories of New Zealand, the broader settler colonial world, and imperial violence, challenging the traditional narratives that often isolate these stories.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Aims of the Book

• Research Spark: Macdonald was inspired by the intertwined stories of individuals like Henarei Taratoa (a Māori student who later fought and died against the British) and Edward Eyre (later involved in the Morant Bay massacre in Jamaica), prompting her to explore the transformation from intimate colonial interactions to violence across the empire (04:14–05:38).
• Aims:
  • Examine how New Zealand rapidly shifted from a Māori-dominated, treaty-based society to a belligerent settler colony with martial law and a strong garrison presence (06:35–09:58).
  • Reconnect New Zealand’s history to wider imperial events, highlighting links to crises in Jamaica, India, and Australia.
  • Encourage readers—including those not typically interested in military history—to reassess the roles of garrisons and military life in shaping societies, economies, and cultures.

2. Setting the Stage: 1840 as a Focal Point

• Key Events of 1840 (10:25–14:34):
  • Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between British officials and Māori chiefs.
  • New Zealand’s formal annexation to the British Empire.
  • Arrival of New Zealand Company settlers—sometimes before legal agreements, sparking tension.
• Notably, British presence and garrisoning in 1840 were fragile, starting with minimal force in a largely Māori society, contrasting with Australia’s abrupt settlement.

3. Who Were the Redcoat Soldiers?

• Composition (14:57–19:49):
  • 18 regiments served in New Zealand, mostly comprised of poor, laboring-class men—predominantly Irish, with a small officer elite from the middle and upper classes.
  • Harsh discipline and brutal punishments (e.g., flogging, branding).
  • Soldiers were highly mobile, sent wherever needed throughout the Empire, with New Zealand often staffed by regiments from Australia, India, Ireland, or England.

4. Military Actions and Day-to-Day Life

• Early Clashes and Wars (20:16–28:05):

  • First violence in the Wairau incident (1843), then the Northern Wars (1845–46), rooted in land disputes and authority.
  • Māori military resistance proved highly skilled, often outmaneuvering British forces.
  • By the 1860s, large-scale wars (“New Zealand wars”) erupted, with up to 10,000 British troops present at the conflict’s height.
  • The significance lay not just in open conflict but in the garrison’s ongoing, quietly coercive presence (“quiet violence”).

• Non-Combat Roles and Interactions (28:47–34:41):

  • Soldiers built permanent barracks and fortifications, shaping urban landscapes.
  • They provided crucial public works: road-building, water supplies, communications—acting as essential labor in resource-poor settlements.
  • Military social activities included regimental bands, theater, and sports like cricket, interacting with settler society yet also causing tension due to the army’s rougher, masculine culture.
  • Integration was deeper than in many colonies (e.g., India), but ambivalence persisted: settlers relied on soldiers for protection but often resented their disorderly presence.

5. Economic, Social, and Cultural Impacts

• Economic: Garrison spending was a lifeline, bringing cash flow and contracts for supplies, vital for fragile economies (35:03–38:49).

  • Sometimes, local authorities strategically exaggerated threats to retain troops and their economic benefits.
  • Departure of troops could plunge towns into recession (e.g., Auckland after 1865–67).

• Social and Cultural: Soldiers contributed to vibrancy—balls, races, music, theater, sports—yet also brought drunkenness, lawbreaking, and in some cases, sexual violence (39:35–40:37).

6. Empire-Wide Connections and the ‘Decade of Crises’

• Influence of Broader Imperial Events (41:58–47:21):

  • Events like the 1857 Indian Rebellion, New Zealand’s wars, and the 1865 Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica were entwined.
  • Imperial fears of rebellion stoked overreactions, expanding violence and justifying martial law.
  • Soldiers, officers, and language circulated across imperial sites, linking experiences of violence.

• Debates Around Violence and Race (48:59–52:36):

  • The legitimacy of imperial violence exploded into public debate, especially around the Morant Bay atrocities and ensuing legal battles.
  • Notions of race hardened: indigenous resistance was increasingly cast as criminal and racially inferior, contrasting with earlier (if limited) humanitarian arguments.

7. The End of the Garrison Era and Its Legacies

• Why the Garrison Left in 1870 (53:18–57:34):

  • British policy shifted: London decided settler colonies should self-defend, coinciding with army reforms (ending the purchase of commissions, reorganizing deployment).
  • The departure was controversial among settlers; some called for changing allegiances or joining the US.
  • Some soldiers stayed, becoming settlers themselves; others returned home after their service (60:46–62:57).

• Lasting Impacts (63:24–65:42):

  • The garrison’s legacy: lasting marginalization and dispossession of Māori; the escalation of settler dominance post-1870.
  • Physical traces (barrack walls, fort names) remain, though often unrecognized.
  • The book urges greater acknowledgment of the garrison era to address ongoing legacies of colonial violence and injustice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How had this transformation occurred? … This took me to the world of soldiers and the politics around the deployment of redcoat soldiers.”
  — Dr. Charlotte Macdonald, on the origins of her research (05:38)

• “The significance is not just in the fighting moments, but in the continuous presence of the military across all three decades.”
  — Dr. Charlotte Macdonald, on the concept of “quiet violence” (28:05)

• “The military and the Royal Navy … performed such a diverse series of functions. Yes, they were there to be the sharp force of empire, the coercive force, but they did all sorts of other things economically, socially and culturally.”
  — Dr. Charlotte Macdonald (08:50)

• “We see a sharpening and hardening of what race itself stands for through these violent episodes. … That thinking then rationalises the violence that's exercised against them.”
  — Dr. Charlotte Macdonald, on the evolution of racial attitudes (50:07–51:29)

• “1870 proved to be that moment of separation and of putting defence back as a colonial responsibility … what it also marked was a time of radical reform in the army itself.”
  — Dr. Charlotte Macdonald, on why the garrison era ended (54:38–57:34)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Project Origins and Initial Inspiration: 02:59–05:38
• Aims and Who Should Read the Book: 06:35–09:58
• Why Start in 1840? The Treaty & Early British Presence: 10:25–14:34
• Who Were the Redcoat Soldiers?: 14:57–19:49
• Soldiers’ Daily Lives, Discipline, and Deployments: 19:49–28:05
• Garrison Roles Beyond Fighting: 28:47–34:41
• Economic & Social Effects of Garrison Towns: 35:03–40:37
• Empire-Wide Connections (India, Jamaica, etc.): 41:58–47:21
• Imperial Violence & Racial Attitudes: 48:59–52:36
• Departure of the Garrison & Army Reform: 53:18–57:34
• What Became of the Soldiers: 60:46–62:57
• Legacies and Lasting Impacts: 63:24–65:42

Tone and Style

The conversation is thoughtful, reflective, and exploratory, inviting listeners to reconsider assumptions about colonial history, the military, and the empire’s lasting influence. Macdonald emphasizes nuance, complexity, and the need for connecting local and global histories, while Dr. Melcher prompts with curiosity and a focus on contemporary relevance.

Closing

The episode concludes with Macdonald reflecting on future projects—potential microhistorical studies of individual lives from imperial archives—and a mutual hope that greater knowledge of the garrison era will enrich understanding and reckoning with New Zealand’s colonial past.

Recommended for listeners interested in:

• Colonial and imperial history
• Military history beyond battlefields
• Connections between local and global histories
• Enduring impacts of empire and settler colonialism on society and race relations