Glaciers in New Zealand
Maori children
Northland, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Sound
Routeburn Track
Boating in Taupo
Tongariro, New Zealand
Wellington, New Zealand

History in New Zealand

Copyright: Sonya Cullimore. History in New Zealand, New Zealand History, Māori History

The people and places you'll encounter in New Zealand all have stories to tell of the history of New Zealand. Some of these tales about New Zealand history date back centuries.

Māori were the first inhabitants of Aotearoa (meaning 'Land of the Long White Cloud'). After arriving from their ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki, probably about 1000 years ago, they set up a thriving society based on the iwi (tribe), which flourished for hundreds of years. This was followed about 800 years later by extensive European migration.

The influence of Pacific Island and Asian immigrants during the 20th century has helped shape the history of New Zealand into an even more vibrant and diverse multicultural society. You can trace the emergence of modern New Zealand by exploring the events of the past in New Zealand history.

Māori History

According to Māori history, the first explorer to reach New Zealand was Kupe. Using the stars and ocean currents as his navigational guides, he ventured across the Pacific on his waka hourua (voyaging canoe) from his ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki.

It is thought, according to Māori history, that Kupe made landfall at the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, around 1000 years ago. You will not find Hawaiki on a map, but it is believed Māori came from an island or group of islands in Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean. It is not known exactly which place, but there are distinct similarities between the Māori language and culture, and others of Polynesia including the Cook Islands, Hawaii and Tahiti.

It is now thought that Polynesian migration was planned and deliberate, with many waka hourua making return journeys to Hawaiki. Modern replicas of waka hourua, such as Te Aurere, have successfully journeyed throughout the Pacific, using traditional navigation methods. More waka hourua followed Kupe over the next few hundred years, landing at various parts of New Zealand. Today, many iwi (tribes) can trace their entire origins and whakapapa (geneology) back to certain waka hourua.

History of New Zealand

History in New Zealand, New Zealand History, Māori History

The first European to sight New Zealand was Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. He was on an expedition to discover a great Southern continent 'Great South Land' that was believed to be rich in minerals. In 1642, while searching for this continent, Tasman sighted a 'large high-lying land' off the West Coast of the South Island. According to New Zealand history, Tasman's first contact with Māori was at the top of the South Island in what is now called Golden Bay. Two waka (canoes) full of Māori men sighted Tasman's boat. Tasman sent out his men in a small boat, but various misunderstandings saw it rammed by one of the waka.

In the resulting skirmish, four of Tasman's men were killed. Tasman never set foot on New Zealand, and after sailing up the West Coast, went on to some Pacific Islands. His employers, having found 'no treasures or matters of great profit' considered his mission to New Zealand unsuccessful.

Though a Dutchman was the first European to sight the country in New Zealand history, it was the British who colonised New Zealand. Captain James Cook, sent to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus, was also tasked with the search for the great southern continent thought to exist in the southern seas.

Cook's cabin boy, Young Nick, sighted a piece of land (now called Young Nick's Head) near Gisborne in 1769. Cook successfully circumnavigated and mapped the country. His botanists and other experts on board his ship, the Endeavour, gained considerable information about the country's flora and fauna, and the native Māori inhabitants. Cook led two more expeditions to New Zealand, before being killed on a Hawaiian beach in 1779.

British migrants were offered a paid passage to New Zealand, and 40,000 arrived here between 1840 and 1860. By 1858 the Māori and Pakeha populations were nearly equal.

The South Island gold rush of the 1860's saw even more migrants flood in from around the world, including English, Scots, Irish and Chinese. A labour shortage here in the late 19th century saw even more migrants from the British Isles and Europe come to New Zealand. Most came with assistance from the New Zealand Government.

By 1900 there were over half a million Pakeha in New Zealand, while war and disease had seen the Māori population decline to only about 40,000.

Before 1840, there was about 2000 Pakeha (Europeans) in New Zealand, most living in the Bay of Islands. At this time in New Zealand history, intertribal Māori warfare was frequent, and the arrival of guns, which Māori traded from Pakeha, made it deadly. This, and the diseases brought by the Pakeha, had a terrible effect on the Māori population, and their numbers started to steeply decline.

With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, a pivotal part in New Zealand and Māori history, New Zealand became a British colony. This saw a great increase in the number of British migrants coming to New Zealand. Many had their passage paid for by colonial companies.

The systematic colonial settlement of New Zealand was largely based on the ideas of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who believed the colonial settlements should be modelled on the structures of British society. Many New Zealand cities and towns were established and populated in this way. These settlements were intended to be civilised and self-sufficient, with small farmers cultivating their land, and living in peace with the native people.

During the mid and late 1800's in New Zealand history, a large number of Scottish migrants settled in New Zealand, especially in the South Island provinces of Otago and Southland. Dunedin (from Dun Edin, the old Celtic name for Edinburgh) is the capital of Otago. It was designed as a city for members of the Free Church of Scotland, which broke away from the Church of Scotland in 1843.

The Scottish influence can still be seen throughout the city's architecture, particularly in the University and Medical School. Pipes bands, Scottish country dancing, and the sport of curling are all pastimes originally brought to New Zealand by Scottish migrants, but now firmly part of the history in New Zealand, as well as a way of life.

As well as bringing in large numbers of miners from Europe, Australia, and America, the Otago gold rush attracted many male migrants from China. In the country they called 'New Gold Hill', many Chinese migrants suffered hardship, discrimination and loneliness. Many of the descendants of these miners, and subsequent Chinese migrants, became market gardeners. During World War II, Chinese market gardeners heroically contributed to the war effort, producing massive amounts of food for troops.

As more migrants arrived and more land was needed for them, land disputes with Māori increased. The ambiguity and lack of adherence to the Treaty of Waitangi saw grievances increase and skirmishes multiply. These turned into full-scale war in Northland during the mid 1840s, and in the rest of the country during the 1860's. British troops helped the New Zealand colonial forces during these conflicts, as did some Māori.

During the land wars Māori were victorious on many occasions. Incidents such as the defence of the Ohaewai Pa in Northland showed that Māori military engineering was sophisticated and often superior to Pakeha. However, the force and greater number of the colonial forces eventually saw the New Zealand Wars end in defeat for the Māori tribes.

Soon afterwards, the government seized vast tracts of Māori land including prime farmland in Waikato and Taranaki. The major loss of land, combined with continued deaths from disease, saw the Māori population steeply decline, dropping to only about 40,000 by 1900.

In the 1950's an agreement between the Dutch and New Zealand governments saw a large number of Dutch migrants settle throughout New Zealand. Dutch migrants brought many skills with them, and made a major contribution to the development of the New Zealand restaurant, horticulture (particularly flower growing), building design, and fashion industries. Today, about 100,000 New Zealanders can claim Dutch descent. Thanks to Dutch migrants, New Zealand currently exports tulip bulbs to the Netherlands!

During the 1960's and 70's in New Zealand history, the country faced a severe labour shortage. This led to a large number of migrants from the Pacific Islands arriving in New Zealand, especially in Auckland. Pacific Islanders now make up more than five percent of the New Zealand population, and Auckland is now the largest Polynesian city in the world.

While Pacific Islanders were originally employed in factories and lesser-skilled jobs, a growing number are now entering the professions, and making a major contribution to professional sport, fashion, popular music, television, and the arts in New Zealand. The influence of Pacific Island food, fashion, and arts can be seen on the streets of most New Zealand cities.

Throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century, the 'homeland' of Britain had an enormous influence on New Zealand and history in New Zealand. Government administration, education, and culture were largely built on British models. As Prime Minister Michael Savage said about England in 1939, 'where she goes, we go, where she stands, we stand'. While New Zealand is still heavily influenced by its colonial heritage and history, the country now has its own strong sense of identity.

While still a member of the British Commonwealth, and maintaining close, friendly relations with the USA, New Zealand now has a far more independent trading and foreign policy. Today, even conservative politicians talk openly about New Zealand eventually becoming a republic - something unheard of within the history of New Zealand until quite recently.

The last 15 years in New Zealand history has seen considerable migration to New Zealand from Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, and Japan. These Asian migrants have greatly contributed to the New Zealand economy, particularly in the areas of business and the professions. Most New Zealand cities now have many Asian restaurants and shops.

Click here to view tourism operators for heritage and history in New Zealand.

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New Zealand Coach Tours

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The largest range of escorted & small group tours

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New Zealand Road Trips

Let's go on an adventure

New Zealand self-drive tours

NZ Self-Drive Tours

Explore NZ on a custom self-drive package holiday

Bluebridge Ferry

Bluebridge Cook Strait ferries

Cross Cook Strait and enjoy Kiwi hospitality.

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