New Zealand History

Te Akomanga A space for teaching and learning the histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

TODAY IN HISTORY

2008 Scott Dixon wins Indianapolis 500

Dixon's victory at the Brickyard in 2008, the first Indianapolis 500 win by a New Zealander, helped him secure his second Indy Racing League championship.

1861 The Press goes to press

Published from a cottage in Montreal Street, the first edition was a six-page tabloid which sold for sixpence.

1978 Bastion Point protesters evicted

Police and army personal removed 222 people from Bastion Point, Auckland, ending an occupation that had begun in January 1977. Ngāti Whātua were protesting against the loss of land in the Ōrakei Block, which had once been declared ‘absolutely inalienable’.

1992 First episode of Shortland Street goes to air

In 2022, Shortland Street was New Zealand’s longest-running television drama series

KIWI OF THE WEEK

Jack Lovelock

5 Jan 1910 - 28 Dec 1949

One of our greatest athletes, Berlin Olympic gold medallist Jack Lovelock led a remarkably full life before his tragic death in 1949, just a few days shy of his 40th birthday.

New Zealand and the First World War

New Zealand and the First World War

The First World War had a seismic impact on New Zealand, reshaping the country's perception of itself and its place in the world.

Women's Suffrage Petition

Suffrage Petition

The 1893 Women's suffrage petition — signed by more than 25,000 women, about a fifth of the enture adult European female population — helped pave the way for the passage of New Zealand's world-leading Electoral Act in September 1893.

See the digitised version of the petition

Memorials Register

Memorials Register

Find exact locations and further information for more than 1000 memorials throughout New Zealand.

Explore the memorials register