ncea2

The growth of New Zealand identity 1890–1980

Imperialism, indigenous peoples and the emergence of new nations: the growth of New Zealand identity 1890–1980

Case study: Dominion status

Related link on NZHistory.net.nz

• Dominion status

Topics include:

• the meaning of dominion status
• becoming a dominion
• the first Dominion Day
• demise of Dominion Day
• changes after New Zealand became a dominion.

On 26 September 1907 the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. New Zealand became a dominion within the British Empire. What really changed as a consequence of this can inform the debate about the evolution of political independence in New Zealand. This can be used to explore the NCEA Level 2 topic 'The growth of New Zealand identity 1890–1980’.

On 12 October 1917, 845 New Zealanders were killed in one morning at Passchendaele, Belgium. This was the greatest loss of life in a single day in New Zealand’s history – more than the combined total of deaths from the eruption of Mt Tarawera, the Hawke’s Bay earthquake, the Tangiwai rail disaster, the sinking of the Wahine and the Air New Zealand plane crash on Mt Erebus.

Given these numbers, why do the events at Passchendaele in October 1917 go largely unnoticed in the New Zealand calendar? Can a case be made for reconsidering the place of Anzac Day in our national calendar? Look at the material on NZHistory.net.nz about the commemoration of Anzac Day as well as the material on Passchendaele: fighting for Belgium to consider how best to commemorate those who died in Belgium in 1917. The activities that follow explore this central theme, so choose which of them best suits your class and level.

Historians agree that the switch from colony to dominion meant no real change, so why did New Zealand become a dominion? Using the feature Dominion status, complete any or all of the following activities that examine some of the arguments for and against New Zealand seeking dominion status.

1. Letter to the Colonial Office

In 1907 New Zealand’s prime minister, Sir Joseph Ward, visited London for an imperial conference. While there, he raised the idea of New Zealand becoming a dominion.

Imagine that you are Sir Joseph Ward. It is May 1907, and you are writing to Lord Elgin of the Colonial Office outlining why you believe New Zealand should be granted dominion status. Your letter must summarise the key arguments for New Zealand becoming a dominion and should be no more than 300 words in length.

If your school was in existence at the time of the First World War (or perhaps the Second World War) chances are that ex-pupils who served in the armed forces have been acknowledged in some way. It might be in the name of a building or a school trophy or award. Perhaps a roll of honour to those who served or were killed while fighting overseas is displayed somewhere in your school.

Refer to the media gallery for the feature Dominion status to complete the following activity:

a. According to the New Zealand Gazette notice declaring dominion status, who was the King at the time of this proclamation?

b. According to this proclamation, on whose request was the decision made to adopt the title ‘dominion’?

c. On what date did the King agree to the switch from colony to dominion?

d. What evidence can you find in this proclamation to suggest that the granting of dominion status meant little in terms of real change for New Zealand? Cite particular words or sentences.

It is a sobering experience to look at the lists that hang on the walls of many schools throughout New Zealand of those killed in the First World War or to see old photos of sports teams and match faces to casualty lists. Schools have honoured, mourned and glorified these ex-pupils, but to what extent must they accept some responsibility for the carnage of the First World War? What role did schools play in turning boys into soldiers?

Consider the experiences of Wellington College under the leadership of J.P. Firth. He was regarded by many at the time as a man to emulate when it came to school management. Schools, he believed, should produce honourable men of good character who would become good citizens. The historian Jock Phillips argues that, for Firth, learning was to be subordinate to character. In Firth’s eyes, the urban world of the early 20th century was a dangerous place where boys were at risk of physical and moral softening.

Using the feature Dominion status, complete the following activities that examine how Dominion Day was initially celebrated (or not):

1. How did the government celebrate the first Dominion Day in 1907?
2. What evidence was there that not all New Zealanders shared the government’s enthusiasm for Dominion Day?
3. Imagine you are a reporter for the newly launched Dominion newspaper. You are writing an account of the Dominion Day celebrations in Wellington that will be offered to other newspapers in New Zealand.
   

a. Look at the photo of uniformed school cadets in the grounds of the Marist Brothers School at Wanganui shortly after the passage of the Defence Act 1910. Then do the following:

• In a paragraph of between six and eight lines, outline why you believe school cadets were an important way of preparing boys for the possibility of fighting a war.
• In a paragraph of between six and eight lines, outline whether or not you think schools today should be expected to make all young people between 12 and 14 years old undergo 40 hours of physical training each year as Junior Cadets. Remember to justify your opinion.

b. Look at the certificate of merit from the Passchendaele media gallery. Using this and any other information you have, complete the following activities:

Use the feature Dominion status and your own knowledge and ideas to help you write the following practice essay for achievement standard 2.6: examine individual or group identity in a historical setting.

Introduction

On 26 September 1907 the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. New Zealand became a dominion within the British Empire. For a few years, some New Zealanders celebrated Dominion Day on 26 September with parades and public events. Debate soon emerged as to whether becoming a dominion truly represented any significant change and whether it was an important milestone in the development of a distinctive sense of identity for New Zealand or New Zealanders.