A brief history
- Māori settlement. The first people to arrive in New Zealand were ancestors of the Māori. ...
- The first Europeans. The first European to arrive in New Zealand was the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. ...
- Treaty of Waitangi signed. ...
- The New Zealand wars. ...
- Economic growth. ...
- Social change, war and independence. ...
- Expanding trade and cultural diversity. ...
- More information. ...
Who are the first settlers in New Zealand?
New Zealand was first settled by Polynesians from Eastern Polynesia.Genetic and archaeological evidence suggests that humans emigrated from Taiwan via southeast Asia to Melanesia and then radiated eastwards into the Pacific in pulses and waves of discovery which gradually colonised islands from Samoa and Tonga all the way to Hawaii, the Marquesas, Easter Island, the Society Islands and ...
Who is the oldest person living in New Zealand?
This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Linda Wiggins celebrates her 110th birthday at Marire Rest Home, Stratford. New Zealand's oldest known living person has turned 110 - but she doesn't feel her age and is kept young by the male residents at her rest home.
Who is the biggest employer in New Zealand?
New Zealand’s top 20 most attractive employers were named as:
- Air New Zealand
- The Department of Conservation
- The New Zealand Customs Service
- TVNZ
- The University of Auckland
- Victoria University of Wellington
- The University of Otago
- AUT University
- UNITEC Institute of Technology
- House of Travel
Who conquered New Zealand?
of the land was acquired by purchase rather than conquest. After some uncertainty in the earliest years, the British government recognized the indigenous people, the Maori, as possessing full property rights in all of the colony's land. Over the course of the 19th century, the British bought the vast majority of New Zea-land.
How was New Zealand first settled?
Māori were the first to arrive in New Zealand, journeying in canoes from Hawaiki about 1,000 years ago. A Dutchman, Abel Tasman, was the first European to sight the country but it was the British who made New Zealand part of their empire.
When was New Zealand first settled by humans?
Signs of settlement There is a lot of evidence that Polynesian people first arrived in New Zealand around 1250–1300 CE, coming from East Polynesia in canoes.
Was New Zealand a settlement colony?
The Colony of New Zealand was a British colony that existed in New Zealand from 1841 to 1907. It was created as a Crown colony. The power of the British government was vested in the governor of New Zealand, but the colony was granted self-government in 1852.
Who settled New Zealand in the 17th century?
Under the leadership of British statesman Edward G. Wakefield, the first British colonists to New Zealand arrive at Port Nicholson on North Island. In 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman became the first European to discover the South Pacific island group that later became known as New Zealand.
Who lived in New Zealand First?
Māori were the first inhabitants of Aotearoa, New Zealand, guided by Kupe, the great navigator.
Who lived in New Zealand before the Māori?
Although modern New Zealand archaeology has largely clarified questions of the origin and dates of the earliest migrations, some theorists have continued to speculate that what is now New Zealand was discovered by Melanesians, 'Celts', Greeks, Egyptians or the Chinese, before the arrival of the Polynesian ancestors of ...
What was New Zealand originally called?
AotearoaAotearoa (Māori: [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is the current Māori-language name for New Zealand. The name was originally used by the Māori people in reference to only the North Island, with the name of the whole country being Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu ("North Island and South Island").
What is a Māori settlement called?
Early history The earliest period of Māori settlement, known as the "Archaic", "Moahunter" or "Colonisation" period, dates from c. 1300 to c. 1500. The early Māori diet included an abundance of moa and other large birds and fur seals that had never been hunted before.
When did NZ become a colony?
16 November 1840For a few months in 1840 New Zealand was closely connected with Australia, and formally an extension of New South Wales. On 16 November 1840, our nation officially became a separate colony within the British Empire.
Was New Zealand found before Australia?
Early history Australia and New Zealand had quite separate indigenous histories, settled at different times by very different peoples – Australia from Indonesia or New Guinea around 50,000 years ago, New Zealand from islands in the tropical Pacific around 1250–1300 CE.
Did the Chinese discover New Zealand First?
English explorer Captain James Cook reportedly "discovered" New Zealand's East Coast on October 7, 1769, hundreds of years after it had been settled by Maori. But two visits early this year have convinced Cedric Bell that Chinese ships were visiting New Zealand 2000 years ago.
When did Māori arrive in NZ?
Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350.
Why did the Europeans settle in New Zealand?
Apart from convicts escaping from Australia and shipwrecked or deserting sailors seeking asylum with Māori tribes, the first Europeans in New Zealand were in search of profits— from sealskins, timber, New Zealand flax (genus Phormium ), and whaling. Australian firms set up tiny settlements of land-based bay whalers, and Kororareka (now called Russell ), in the northeastern North Island, became a stopping place for American, British, and French deep-sea whalers. Traders supplying whalers drew Māori into their economic activity, buying provisions and supplying trade goods, implements, muskets, and rum. Initially the Māori welcomed the newcomers; while the tribes were secure, the European was a useful dependent.
When did Auckland come into existence?
Meanwhile, Hobson moved the seat of government south from the Bay of Islands, bringing Auckland into existence (1840) . In the early 1840s settlement and government began to alarm the Maori.
What were the effects of the Maori conversion?
All of these newcomers had a profound effect on Maori life. Warfare and disease reduced numbers, while new values, pursuits, and beliefs modified tribal structures.
Where did the bay whalers stop?
Australian firms set up tiny settlements of land-based bay whalers, and Kororareka (now called Russell ), in the northeastern North Island, became a stopping place for American, British, and French deep-sea whalers.
Where did the Maori go?
Initially the Maori welcomed the newcomers; while the tribes were secure, the European was a useful dependent. Maori went overseas, some as far as England. A northern chief, Hongi Hika, amassed presents in England and exchanged them in Australia for muskets; back in New Zealand he waged devastating war on traditional enemies.
Who was the leader of the Northern Chiefs before the annexation of New Zealand?
Before declaring the annexation of New Zealand, Hobson went through a process of discussion with the northern chiefs from which emerged the Treaty of Waitangi (February 1840).
Who was the New Zealand Company founded by?
The New Zealand Company, founded in 1839 to colonize on the principles laid down by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, sent a survey ship, the Tory, in May 1839. The agents on board were to buy land in both islands around Cook Strait.
How many people live in New Zealand?
Today New Zealand is home to more than 5 million people. Learn more about how our cultural diversity came about in this young country.
Who fished from the sea in New Zealand?
Legend has it that New Zealand was fished from the sea by the daring demigod Māui. The Legends of Māui are deeply rooted in New Zealand's history and culture.
What was the Treaty of Waitangi?
In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, an agreement between the British Crown and Maori. It established British law in New Zealand and is considered New Zealand’s founding document and an important part of the country's history.
Is New Zealand a proud country?
While retaining some ties to the British Crown, New Zealand has become a proud nation in its own right.
What is the New Zealand land?
Wellington Harbour, Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys, dazzling fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps on the South Island—all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty.
Which island group is New Zealand?
New Zealand administers the South Pacific island group of Tokelau and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. Niue and the Cook Islands are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand. Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour, Wellington, New Zealand. Stephen Patience ( A Britannica Publishing Partner)
What are the two main islands of New Zealand?
The country comprises two main islands—the North and South islands —and a number of small islands, some of them hundreds of miles from the main group. The capital city is Wellington and the largest urban area Auckland; both are located on the North Island. New Zealand administers the South Pacific island group of Tokelau and claims a section ...
What is the social and cultural gap between New Zealand and the British Isles?
The social and cultural gap between New Zealand’s two main groups—the indigenous Māori of Polynesian heritage and the colonizers and later immigrants from the British Isles and their descendants —has decreased since the 1970s, though educational and economic differences between the two groups remain.
How long is New Zealand?
New Zealand is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long (north-south) and about 280 miles (450 km) across at its widest point. The country has slightly less surface area than the U.S. state of Colorado and a little more than the United Kingdom. About two-thirds of the land is economically useful, the remainder being mountainous.
Which country was the largest in Polynesia when it was annexed by Great Britain in 1840?
This quiz is based on Britannica’s list of the world’s populations, so review that before you start. New Zealand was the largest country in Polynesia when it was annexed by Great Britain in 1840. Thereafter it was successively a crown colony, a self-governing colony (1856), and a dominion (1907).
Is New Zealand a member of the United Nations?
Despite New Zealand’s isolation, the country has been fully engaged in international affairs since the early 20th century, being an active member of a number of intergovernmental institutions, including the United Nations. It has also participated in several wars, including World Wars I and II.
Who was the first British resident in New Zealand?
Britain’s first steps were tentative. In 1833 James Busby was appointed as Britain’s first official Resident in New Zealand. Given little official support and provided with no means of enforcing his authority over British subjects, he was to seek any assistance he might need from the Governor of New South Wales (who was also reluctant to spend money or time on New Zealand).
What was New Zealand like during the 19th century?
In the period between the first European landings and the First World War, New Zealand was transformed from an exclusively Māori world into one in which Pākehā dominated numerically, politically, socially and economically. This broad survey of New Zealand’s ‘long 19th century’ [ 1] begins with the arrival of James Cook in 1769 and concludes in 1914, when New Zealand answered the call to arms for ‘King and Country’.
What was the first post-Treaty challenge to the Crown?
The first post-Treaty challenge to the Crown came in 1845, when Hōne Heke’s repeated attacks on the British flag at Kororāreka sparked the Northern War. Heke believed that Māori had lost their status and their country to the British despite the assurances embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi. The Northern War marked the beginning of the wider North Island conflicts which are collectively known as the New Zealand Wars.
What was the Treaty of Waitangi?
Regarded as New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi has been a source of debate and controversy ever since 1840. The differences between the English- and Māori-language versions of the Treaty are at the heart of this debate. While the British maintained that Māori had ceded sovereignty via the Treaty, Māori heavily outnumbered the new settlers and at first little changed on the ground. This is illustrated by the official response to the 1843 Wairau Incident (or Massacre, as it was known to Europeans), in which 22 settlers were killed by Ngāti Toa in a dispute over land. Governor Robert FitzRoy insisted that Ngāti Toa had been provoked by the settlers and took no action. The disgruntled settler community took this as confirmation that their needs were seen as secondary to those of Māori.
What was the New Zealand Constitution Act?
In 1846 a New Zealand Constitution Act (UK) proposed a form of representative government for the 13,000 colonists. The new governor, George Grey, argued that the settler population could not be trusted to pass laws that would protect the interests of the Māori majority and persuaded his political superiors to postpone its introduction for five years. Once more settlers argued their needs were being overlooked. The Colonial Office was bombarded with memorials and petitions, to no avail.
How much did the HMS New Zealand cost?
HMS New Zealand cost New Zealand taxpayers £1.7 million (equivalent to $300 million in 2020). When the ship visited the dominion in 1913 for 10 weeks as part of a world tour, an estimated 500,000 New Zealanders – half the population - inspected their gift to Mother England.
Why did New Zealand not join the Commonwealth?
Federation with Australia was rejected for a number of reasons, not least because we too aspired to ‘identity, status and a grander future’. Some feared federation might put New Zealand’s social reforms at risk, while others believed we represented a better ‘type of Britisher’. Federation ultimately consolidated national identity on both sides of the Tasman and strengthened the view that New Zealand should not give up its growing independence. Symbols of nationhood emerged, including a new flag (1902) and a Coat of Arms (1911)
When did New Zealand first settle?
The date of first settlement is a matter of debate, but current understanding is that the first arrivals came from East Polynesia in the late 13th century. It was not until 1642 that Europeans became aware the country existed.
How did the Polynesian settlers discover New Zealand?
The original Polynesian settlers discovered the country on deliberate voyages of exploration, navigating by making use of prevailing winds and ocean currents, and observing the stars. The navigator credited in some traditions with discovering New Zealand is Kupe. Some time later the first small groups arrived from Polynesia. Now known as Māori, these tribes did not identify themselves by a collective name until the arrival of Europeans when, to mark their distinctiveness the name Māori, meaning ‘ordinary’, came into use.
What did the Polynesians bring to the North Island?
The Polynesians brought with them kūmara (sweet potatoes) and yams, which grew well in the warmer North Island. Extensive kūmara gardens supported relatively large settlements. But even in the north, birds, fish and shellfish were important in the Māori diet. In some northern areas, large populations put pressure on resources. The Polynesian dog and rat came with the early arrivals, but the domestic pigs and chickens of the islands did not, for reasons not fully understood.
Why was it important to recite whakapapa?
Society was organised around groups that traced their descent from common ancestors. Reciting whakapapa ( genealogies) was an important way to communicate knowledge.
What were the main prey of the early settlers?
The early settlers lived in small hunting bands. Seals and the large, flightless moa bird were their main prey, until moa were hunted to extinction. In the South Island, hunting and gathering remained the main mode of survival.
Did New Zealand make pottery?
Although New Zealand has abundant clay deposits, Māori people did not make pottery. But their distant ancestors brought the skill from South-East Asia across the Pacific as far as Samoa and Tonga before it was lost. Lapita pottery (named after a site in New Caledonia) is one of the ways we can trace the emergence of Polynesians in the Pacific. The motifs of Māori art in New Zealand clearly resemble the decoration on Lapita pottery.
What was the first ship to settle in Wellington?
European settlers arrive in Wellington. The New Zealand Company's first settler ship, the Aurora, arrived at Petone to found the settlement that would become Wellington.
Is New Zealand a country?
New Zealand is a country of immigrants. Wave after wave of peoples have settled here: Polynesian, British, European, Asian.
Information and resources we provide
This is our website for migrants who are thinking of moving to New Zealand or have recently arrived. It includes national and regional information, settlement tips, and places where migrants can get settlement support.
Information services that we fund
This is a face-to-face information service for migrants, delivered by Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand (CAB) in 30 offices nationwide. These CABs:
When did the Polynesian people first arrive in New Zealand?
There is a lot of evidence that Polynesian people first arrived in New Zealand around 1250–1300 CE , coming from East Polynesia in canoes.
Where did the first humans come from?
The first humans evolved in Africa and left that continent about 100,000 years ago. They began to migrate and slowly settled most of the rest of the world. The islands of the Pacific, including New Zealand, were among the last places to be reached.
What are the signs of settlement?
Signs of settlement. On the islands they settled, people left traces of where they had lit fires, killed animals, and brought in new animals such as rats. By studying these remains, archaeologists are able to estimate when the first settlers arrived.
Was New Zealand ever seen?
Still New Zealand remained unseen and unknown. Most evidence suggests that it was another two centuries before explorers from East Polynesia finally set eyes on the land at the end of the world. Story by Geoff Irwin and Carl Walrond. Main image: A magnified bracken spore.
Māori Settlement
The First Europeans
- The Dutch
The first European to arrive in New Zealand was the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. The name New Zealand comes from the Dutch ‘Nieuw Zeeland’, the name first given to us by a Dutch mapmaker. - British and French
A surprisingly long time passed — 127 years — before New Zealand was visited by another European. The Englishman Captain James Cook arrived here in 1769 on the first of 3 voyages. European whalers and sealers then started visiting regularly, followed by traders. By the 1830s, t…
Treaty of Waitangi Signed
- On 6 February 1840 at Waitangi, William Hobson — New Zealand’s first Governor — invited assembled Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown. The treaty was taken all around the country — as far south as Foveaux Strait — for signing by local chiefs. More than 500 chiefs signed the treaty that is now known as the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi). About the Tr…
The New Zealand Wars
- Māori came under increasing pressure from European settlers to sell their land for settlement. This led to conflict and, in the 1860s, war broke out in the North Island. A lot of Māori land was taken or bought by the government during or after 20 years of war. New Zealand wars | Te Ara
Economic Growth
- Meanwhile, in the South Island settlements things were going very well. Settlers set up sheep farms on the extensive grasslands and Canterbury became the country’s wealthiest province. Gold was discovered in Otago in 1861 and then on the West Coast, helping to make Dunedin New Zealand’s largest town. In the 1870s, the government helped thousands of British people start a …
Social Change, War and Independence
- Rights for women and workers
In 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant all women the right to vote. Not long after, New Zealand was the first country to offer state pensions and, in the late 1930s, state housing for workers. - South African war
New Zealand was keen to show its loyalty to the British Empire and sent troops to fight for Britain in the South African War in 1899. It was the first war New Zealand soldiers were sent overseas to fight.
Expanding Trade and Cultural Diversity
- Trade
Britain was an important and assured market for our farm products. But when Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, New Zealand lost that important market. This was a blow to our trading community and to the country. Luckily, New Zealand had already begun di… - Culture
New Zealand has become a culturally diverse country. Particularly from the 1980s, a wide range of ethnic groups have been encouraged to settle here and New Zealand is now much more multicultural. According to data from 2013 national Census, 25% of people living in New Zealan…
More Information
- The New Zealand History website provides more detailed information on New Zealand's history. NZ History