“East Taieri (From our own Correspondent)
The German immigrants, especially the feminine sex, are not being very well taken care of by our Government, if the following is a sample. On Thursday last, a young woman who could not speak a word of English, a Dane, I think, was sent out to the Taieri with a couple of slips of paper about 1 inch wide, bearing the names of two farmers, one in the East and the other in the West Taieri, to seek for a situation from either, but not being able speak English no one could direct her, and so she wandered up and down the road until mid-day when some persons saw her who managed to make out what was wanted, and put her into the cart of one of the parties whose name was on one of the slips. The slips did not bear any signature, so that no one is to blame in particular, but there is reason to believe she came from the depot. Surely if they are worth bringing out here they deserve better treatment than that according to this one, and this not, I believe, a solitary instance of the paternal care shown to the new importation the Germans.“ Bruce Herald, 21 January 1873.
At this time, all crown land on the spit was to be proclaimed a Quarantine Station for these and future immigrants before being sent to pratique. The Dunedin Immigration Barracks (built in the year 1860) was located on the southern corner of Princess and Police street intersection. The new immigration barracks at Caversham was already taking in immigrants.
