SHAND, ALEXANDER (1840-1910) was born in Wellington, his parents having arrived by the Oriental earlier in the year. His father, Archibald Watson Shand (1808-78) had a farm and flourmill at Waiwetu. In 1850 the family moved to Dunedin (where the father was subcollector of customs), and in 1855 to the Chatham Islands (where he was collector and resident magistrate). In 1863 Alexander was appointed clerk and interpreter to the resident magistrate, Captain W. E. Thomas (q.v.), with whom he was involved when the Hauhau prisoners escaped from the island in 1868. Retiring from his official position in 1869, he engaged in sheepfarming on the island, and made a special study of the Moriori people, about whom he wrote several papers in the Polynesian Journal (vols. i-vi). He died on 2 Aug 1910.

N.Z. Gaz., 1855; Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Polyn. Jour., vols i-vi; Polyn. Soc. Mem., vol 2, 1911 (p and biog.); Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol 4, 357, vol 37, 144; H. D. Skinner, The Morioris of Chatham Islands, 1923; Wellington Independent, 19 Jun 1867.

Reference: Volume 2, page 148

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