Book explores story of honeybee pioneer

Author JM Laird is launching her new book at one of east Auckland’s oldest churches.

The writer is celebrating the release of her book, entitled Miss Bumby’s Mission, with an event staged on March 15 at the historic St John’s church in East Tamaki, which was built by Mary Bumby and her husband in 1859.

The book is published by Northern Bee Books (UK) and will be publicly released in April with a retail price of $35.

It’s described as a “fascinating historical novel based on the real-life Mary Bumby, the first person to successfully bring honeybees to New Zealand”.

In 1838, when Mary Bumby’s brother John decided to travel from England to be a missionary in New Zealand, she went with him.

She took two hives of live bees on their arduous six-month sea voyage.

The book tells, in her own words, how both Mary Bumby and her skeps of bees survived the incredible adventure.

When they landed in the Hokianga, she became New Zealand’s first beekeeper.

Based on her actual diary and accounts by others, the novel shows near-forgotten skep-keeping practices and what it was like for Mary as one of the few European women living in pre-Treaty of Waitangi New Zealand.

Laird says Mary Bumby is famous in local beekeeping circles as the first to succeed in bringing honeybees to New Zealand.

“From my earliest beekeeping lessons, I’ve wondered how she managed it.

“Two-hundred years ago, bees were kept in skeps, those upside-down baskets featured on honey jars.

“During my research, I spent a day in Herefordshire learning to weave bramble canes around wet straw to produce a wonky skep.

“In Mary’s hometown of Thirsk, Yorkshire, I wandered the streets and talked to locals who still knew the Bumby name.

“The world of Wesleyan missionaries was new to me, and I had to learn about the various personalities and practices they brought to this country.

“Serendipitously, I discovered a book about John Hobbs during a visit to Mangungu in the Hokianga, a book about Mary and her brother during a museum visit in Thirsk, and another book about Mary in the John Kinder Theological Library.

“When I needed a writing project for my Masters in Creative Writing, a book about Mary seemed the obvious choice.

“I had the time to research, the motivation to finish, and the background to understand some of her beekeeping practices. Here, at last, is the story of Miss Bumby’s Mission.”

Laird is a New Zealand hobbyist beekeeper with a passion for planting native trees.

She grows her own food, generates electricity and collects rainwater.

Her new book was written as part of her Master of Creative Writing thesis, and she’s written two previous novels as Josie Laird.

It’s being launched at 10.30am on Saturday, March 15, at Historic St John’s, Hampton Park, 328 East Tamaki Road. RSVP to josielaird@outlook.com or 021 226 213.

The Times has two copies of the book to give away. To enter go online here.

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