Today many people confuse Palmerston with the North Island (especially telecom directory operators) city of Palmerston North, whose residents often call their home simply "Palmerston". Yet the Otago's Palmerston can legitimately claim they were first being officially settled in 1862 opposed to the northern city which did not receive its name until 1871 -both towns are however named after Lord Palmerston, the 19th-century British Prime Minister strongly disliked by Queen Victoria. Victoria saw Palmerston as a sexual predator (after an incident involving one of Victoria’s maid at a Royal Function) and political bully who pursued polices that increased England’s imperial policies even it meant embarrassing and weakening allied colonial governments and or their native populations.
Perhaps this is suitable legacy in the sense that race relations in Palmerston Otago were hardly a raging success when the region first made its way into the European history books with a bang or at less a blood curdling scream. It was in 1814 that the Matilda, sailed by Captain Fowler, arrived just off the Coast of what later would be Palmerston seeking supplies Fowler sent a long boat ashore under the command of first mate Robert Brown and a crew of two Europeans and five lascars (Indian seamen). At night the men who had set up camp on the beach where attacked by a tribe of Maori. The motive for the attack is believed to be related to a feud started four years earlier by the theft of no less than a shirt by a rival tribe (possibly on good term with the Matilda).
During the in suing slaughter two of the crew escaped the slaughter and made their way in the darkness and thick scrub to Goodwood (which is a good location for viewing penguins and sometimes seals) Bobby's Head', just south of Palmerston where European friendly Maori tribe then and fed the fugitives. However their respite was brief for two days later the survivors were tracked and attacked by a war party of around 30 heavily armed Maori Warriors. It is said that during this attack one of the Europeans put up a valiant defense, killing several of his attackers until he was clubbed from behind and his head was split open with a mere ( Maori war club). Long afterwards the offending tribe remembered and revered the mere responsible for slaying the feisty crewman (who along with the rest of the crew had his flesh eaten and his bones tossed to the dogs afterwards) with the tribe believing that the mere and the Warrior now possessed the Manna (inner strength) of the slain sailor.
Another of Palmerston dirty secrets is that the town is also a thriving hub for revenue collecting traffic police so tourists are advised to watch their speed limits and buckle up (as of course they should do this when traveling any where). In the event that you should find as you entering Palmerston cars flashing their lights at you don’t be alarmed it probably a locals giving you the NZ wide symbol for ‘watch out their a traffic cop on the prowl’.
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