New Zealand History

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

TODAY IN HISTORY

1893 Death of Premier John Ballance

Ballance was the first Liberal premier. He laid the foundation for a government that was widely seen as making New Zealand ‘the social laboratory of the world’.

1806 Moehanga becomes first Māori to visit England

Moehanga of Ngāpuhi became the first recorded Māori visitor to England when the whaler Ferret berthed in London. Moehanga (Te Mahanga) had boarded the Ferret  when it visited the Bay of Islands late in 1805.

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