Origins of migrants to colonial NZ studied

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-02-16 12:03

New Zealand

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Exactly who migrated to colonial Otago? Researchers have analysed the isotopic and genetic samples of people buried at three Otago cemeteries (two from a goldfield and one from an agricultural settlement) to see if their results aligned with general public understanding of which groups settled in this area during the mid- to late 19th century. While many of the results were expected, the study authors say some of the individual migration stories revealed by their work add more nuance to the picture, with people from ‘unusual origins' found even within the organised settlements of the Otago Plains, and potentially diverse origins for some of the Chinese migrants on the goldfields.