Blood and Dirt

Blood and Dirt by Jared Davidson immerses readers in the gritty, often overlooked history of colonial New Zealand through the lens of prison labour. Picture every colonial artwork you know of New Zealand and then add a stark reality – chain gangs, men subjected to hard labour, moving heavy metal, and breaking earth under the watchful eyes of armed guards. This was the relentless, harsh reality of nineteenth-century New Zealand. Forced labour, it turns out, has left an indelible mark on the landscapes and urban centres we often take for granted today. What's more, this unfree work not only shaped New Zealand but also extended its influence to the broader Pacific region, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, in ways both profound and unsettling.

These compelling narratives remain largely unknown, creating a hidden history that is quite literally in plain sight. In Blood and Dirt, for the first time, Jared Davidson meticulously unearths and explains how New Zealand and its Pacific empire were forged through the grim realities of prison labour. He asks us to peer beyond the prison walls of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and to recognise the pivotal role penal practices played in the creation of modern New Zealand.

The book takes readers on a journey not only through the history but across New Zealand itself – from the Hohi mission station in the Bay of Islands, down to the rugged wilderness of Milford Sound, spanning vast forest plantations, and reaching the corridors of Parliament. It is a detailed narrative that is both vivid and engaging, poised to transform your understanding and perspective of New Zealand's past.

An archivist by day and an author by night, Jared Davidson is an award-winning writer based in Wellington, New Zealand. His notable works include Dead Letters: Censorship and Subversion in New Zealand 1914-1920 (Otago University Press, 2019), Sewing Freedom (AK Press, 2013), The History of a Riot (BWB Texts, 2021), and the co-authored He Whakaputanga: The Declaration of Independence (Bridget Williams Books, 2017). Through his engaging narratives, Jared explores the lives of people often overlooked by traditional histories – from the working-class radicals of the early twentieth century to the convicts of the nineteenth century. Currently, he serves as the Research Librarian for Manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

With Blood and Dirt, Jared Davidson doesn't just narrate history; he illuminates it, challenging us to reconsider the stories and spaces we thought we knew. This is a transformative read, promising to change the way you view New Zealand forever.