Deaf-and-Dumb.—The number of persons deaf-and-dumb amounted to 111, inclusive of one adult person stated to be dumb, but presumably deaf-and-dumb. 5 were under 5 years of age, 50 between 5 and 15 years, and 17 between 15 and 20; tints a large proportion were at ages when benefit could he obtained by taking advantage of the facilities afforded for educating the deaf-and-dumb. 24 children (13 boys and 11 girls) were in attendance at the Deaf-and-Dumb Institution at Sumner at the end of 1881.
https://www3.stats.govt.nz/historic_publications/1881-census/1881-results-census.html#idsect1_1_3257
The answer was yes. There was a small number of European Deaf people/Deaf children came out to New Zealand pre-1840. Before the European arrived in New Zealand, the Māori people were the first arrived in Aotearoa – The Land of the Long White Cloud from Eastern Polynesia. They settled in many several islands such as Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) before coming to New Zealand (Aotearoa – which Māori people called our country). There was no oral history about illness or disability before the encountered of the Europeans arrived. It was challenging to research many oral histories about the disability or disease in the whānau (extended family) or Hapū (tribe/clan). However, we do know they have married cousins, uncle, aunt of the other whānau or Hapū, and the children developed any disability, illness or just a perfectly healthy child. Māori people believed the disability or disease cursed from their tapu (sacred), noa (non-sacred) or wairua (spirit).
The first Europeans contacted Māori people was the Dutch explorer – Abel Tasman in 1642, followed by Captian James Cook of England in 1769 and Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne in 1772.
The Dutch, American and Spanish traders/whalers and the Christian Missionaries came to Aotearoa from the 1780s. The bringing of the first contact between Māori people and European was the vast disaster of high mortality rates from Eurasian infectious diseases such as fever, smallpox, measles, or influenza. The lost of Māori people was around 10 to 50 per cents around Aotearoa/New Zealand.
The early record in the printed newspapers was 1866 – Penetito who was a deaf boy, a prisoner for life while three other Māori men (Heremita, Mokomoko and Hakaraia) charged for hanging during the court trial. Bibliographic details Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2360, 12 May 1866, Page 5 First printed about Māori Deaf boy in 1866
It was during the Hauhau Wars between 1864 and 1872. During the court trial in Auckland on the 17th May 1866, Horomona the prophet, Mikaere Kirimangu, Mokonoko, Heremita Kahupaea and Hakaraia te Ruwhi executed in Mount Eden Prison. Young Penetito and Hekara sentenced to death, BUT they reprieved because of their young youth and later they pardoned. Penetito served under Captain Preece in the last campaign between 1871 and 1872. Penetio lived at Te Teko in 1922. This detail was from the book by James Cowan, F. R. G. S. (Chapter 9: OPERATIONS AT MATATA AND TE TEKO) The Hauhau Wars
Photo – Hauhau prisoners in Napier foreshore 1866
