EARLY SETTLERS OF PORIRUA
Taken from the brilliantly informative site:
PORIRUA AND THEY WHO SETTLED IT
- Waiho i Porirua, i te kainga ururua
- The taming of a wild land -

In the early days of European settlement the advantages of settling the Porirua district, and of opening up the rugged forest-clad lands by means of roads was clearly recognised. In a despatch from Governor Grey to Earl Grey, of March 26 1847, occurs the following:
In a military point of view, the possession of a great part of the Porirua district, and its occupation by British subjects, were necessary to secure the town of Wellington and its vicinity from future hostile acts and aggression from evil disposed Natives, as it was only by the occupation of the Porirua district that the various tracks leading across the woody mountains which lie between Porirua and Wellington, could be effectually closed against an enemy.
Thus Porirua, it was deemed, would form an excellent buffer state for Wellington, from a military point of view. The protection of the aforesaid settlers does not seem to have entered into the scheme.

In August 1840, news was received in Wellington from New South Wales of the passing of the New Zealand Land Bill that declared any titles to land in New Zealand not derived from the Crown null and void.
This seemed to cut the ground from under the feet of the settlers, and something very much like a panic ensured. Some of the Wellington settlers are said to have proposed a re-migration to Chili, but were dissuaded from carrying out their plan. The Crown grants were eventually obtained, after much trouble.

In 1855 25 acres and a house at Porirua, the property of James Mitchell, was sold for £170 (about $18,000 in 2009). These are some of the old settlers on the Porirua Road as written c1851.

Ames, James - 1839
Allen, Eli - 1842
Angell, Joseph -

Barrow, J. - 1840
Barrow, S. -
Bartlett, N. - 1841
Bell, George 0. - 1832
Best, W. -
Biass, W. G.
Boddington, James -
Boon, Robert - 1836
Booth, -
Boulton, Edward - 1837
Brady, - 1840
Branks, - 1840
Broderick -
Bromley, -
Brown, A -
Brown Okiwi, -
Buchanan, W. -
Burgess, -

Cameron, D. - 1840
Carp, -
Chew, -
Clifford -
Cooper, W. - 1837
Curl, -

Dayncoud - 1838
Dieffenbach R. - 1839
Doddrey Robert - 1839
Dorset John M. U. - 1839
Dowdeswell, -
Drake, -
Drake, T.J. Paparangi - 1840
Daniell, Captain E - 1840

Eaps, W. - 1842
Edwards, J. - 1841

Fisher, -
Floyd, -
Flugent H. - 1837
Fogarty John - 1837
Fraser, Alexander - 1839
Fraser, Thomas - 1839

Galpin, W. - 1840
Gilpin, -
Grant, A. - 1840
Greer, -

Hall, W. - 1842
Hallett, J. - 1841
Hammond, M. - 1842
Harrison, -
Hart, -
Hawtrey, Rev J -
Hay, -
Heberley, James - 1836
Hesketh Henry - 1839
Hornbrook, Major -
Hurley, J. - 1841

Jenkins, W. - 1837
Jenkins, Robert -
Jillet, Robert - 1837
Jones, Thomas - 1839
Johnson, Frank -
Johnstone, J. -

Kibblewhite, R. - 1841
Knocks John J. -
Knox, Dr F.J. - 1840

Lime, J. - 1840
London - 1841
Lowndes, - 1842
Luscombe, -

McGrath, -
McMannaway -
Membery, W. - 1841
Mexted, J. - 1841
Mitchell, James - 1840
Morgan, O. - 1841
Morgan, T. -
Mudgway - 1841

Nankeville, R. - 1840
Nicolls, John - 1830
Nott, W. - 1841

Peckman, -
Petherick, J. - 1840
Phillips, -
Pilcher, -
Prouse, R. - 1840

Rawson, -
Rea, William - 1839
Read, J. - 1841
Reeves, -
Rennie, George -
Rhoades, T. -

Saunders, W. - 1842
Seed, R - 1840
Sharp, -
Sinclair, Duncan - 1839
Sinclair, Hugh - 1839
Sinclair, John - 1839
Smith, -
Strang, R.R. -
Swainson, G. -

Tandy, Levi -
Taylor, Dr Henry - 1839
Taylor, J -
Taylor, Samuel - 1839
Thomas, William - 1836
Taylor, W. - 1840
Todd, Robert - 1839
Torr, -
Tollemache, -

Vavasour, -

Wagg, -
Wakefield E. Jern - 1839
Wakefield, E.G. -
Wakefield Colonel - 1839
Walker, -
Wall, Anthony 1841
Wallace, J.H. -
Wallace, R. -
Whitehouse, J. 1841
Wilmshurst, -
Woodman, Jack -
Woodman, R. -

Young, George -