Pages tagged with: anniversaries

Christmas in New Zealand is less about snow and sleigh bells and more about sun, sand and barbecues in the backyard. During December we delve into the Kiwi Christmas experience – from Abel Tasman’s first New Zealand Christmas in 1642 to the declining reign of the Queen’s message in our living rooms.

Celebrated on the fourth Monday in October, Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. The first Labour Day in New Zealand was celebrated on 28 October 1890, when several thousand trade union members and supporters attended parades in the main centres.

On 26 September 1907 the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. It became, instead, a dominion within the British Empire.

An outline of some of the key events relating to the war at sea and merchant shipping in the Second World War, with a particular focus on New Zealand involvement.

The first Dominion Day, 1907, was a holiday for public servants as all government offices closed to mark the occasion.

Dominion Day, 26 September, never really took hold in New Zealand. Wellington was one of the few places that kept up ceremonies after 1907.

What changed when New Zealand became a dominion in 1907?

See a video and related text about a 2006 survey of New Zealanders' attitude to Christmas.

The Parliamentary Library was lit up on 26 September 2007 to mark the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of dominion status.

1908 Dominion Day celebrations at the Basin Reserve, Wellington

New Zealanders celebrated British victories in the South African War with gusto. Days such as Pretoria Day, 7 June 1900, when Pretoria was taken from the Boers, became occasions of great festivity throughout the country.