Every year on 6 February New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Since the 1970s the style and mood of the commemorations on Waitangi Day have been influenced by the increasingly heated debate surrounding the status of the Treaty in modern-day New Zealand.
Governor-General Lord Bledisloe gifted the Treaty House and grounds at Waitangi to the nation in 1932. Two years later there were celebrations at Waitangi to mark the date of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
From the 1940s the Treaty and Waitangi began to find a place in the national consciousness. For most New Zealanders, they were of historical interest only.
The Waitangi Day Act 1960 declared 6 February to be Waitangi Day – a national day of thanksgiving in commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Waitangi Day in the 21st century has been linked more closely with New Zealand identity, and events have expanded beyond Waitangi itself. Protests have continued, and representatives of the Crown have not always been present at Waitangi.
The Treaty House is New Zealand's most-visited historic building. In 1932 Governor-General Lord Bledisloe gifted it to the nation. The house and grounds have been the focus of Waitangi Day events since 1934.
Apirana Ngata leading members of the Maori Battalion in a haka in front of the whare runanga on the Waitangi treaty house ground at the 1940 centennial celebrations.
The variety of entertainment and fun enjoyed by many at Waitangi each Waitangi day is usually ignored by the media. Members of this aerobics group from the Kensington Fitness Centre are showing their paces.
The Nga Puhi waka taua (war canoe) Ngatokimatawhaorua, built for the 1940 centenary of the Treaty signing, was the largest of five waka in the Bay of Islands waters for Waitangi Day 2002.
