SYMONDS, WILLIAM CORNWALLIS (1810-41) was a son of Sir William Symonds, surveyor-general of the Navy. He received his commission in the 38th Regiment (1828), rising to a captaincy in 1839 in the 96th Regiment, with which he served for about seven years in the Indies. His father being a prominent member of the New Zealand Association (1837), Symonds was commissioned in that year to bring from France the Maori seamen, Nayti and Jackey, who had arrived at Havre in a French whaler.

Symonds is said to have visited New Zealand first about 1836. Two or three years later he came, by way of Sydney, as agent of a Scots company, the New Zealand Manukau and Waitemata Company, which had acquired a title to land on the Auckland isthmus by purchase from the executors of T. Mitchell. He was living at Kaipara before the settlers of the New Zealand Company arrived. He met Colonel Wakefield there when the Tory was wrecked (Dec 1839) and accompanied Dieffenbach in some of his explorations in the interior, towards Taupo and Tongariro. The land acquired by the Scots company was on the north shore of Manukau harbour, and Symonds laid out the town of Cornwallis near Puponga point. Having been instructed by his directors to afford every facility to Governor Hobson in establishing his government, Symonds assisted in getting signatures to the Treaty of Waitangi (including those of the Waikato chiefs at Mangere). He was appointed police magistrate at Waitemata and was present at the official occupation of the site (18 Sep 1840). As deputy-surveyor-general he co-operated in laying out the town of Auckland, and as police magistrate he witnessed the deed of sale by Apihai te Kawau and his colleagues to the Government (20 Oct). He was appointed member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand on 3 May 1841. Meanwhile the Scots company published its prospectus; and the first emigrants were despatched in the Brilliant (which arrived at Manukau on 28 Oct 1841). Symonds lost his life through drowning (23 Nov) while proceeding in an unseaworthy boat to take medical help to Mrs Hamlin at Manukau. Hobson regretted deeply the loss of one whose energy, zeal, manly bearing and urbane manners were qualities much wanted in a new colony. A powerfully built man, fond of outdoor exercises, Symonds was equally popular with both races.

Army List, 1840; Wakefield; Dieffenbach; Brett; Scholefield, Hobson; John Barr.

Reference: Volume 2, page 181

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