What happened that day?

Search event by date

See historic events for any day of the year by entering the date below. Why not try your birthday?

Visit the full Calendar

Kiwi of the Week

Bernard Freyberg

A First World War hero and commander of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Bernard Freyberg was British-born but New Zealand-raised. He proved to be a charismatic and popular military leader who would later serve a term as Governor-General

more

Get KotW as RSS

Today in History

5 January

1977 Occupation of Bastion Point begins

Joe Hawke leads occupation of Takaparawha (Bastion Point reserve), Auckland, to protest the Crown's decision to sell land that Ngati Whatua maintained was wrongly taken from them.

The occupation began after the government announced a housing development on former Ngati Whatua reserve land. The land had been gradually reduced in size by compulsory acquisition, leaving the Ngati Whatua ki Orakei tribal group holding less than one hectare. Police evicted the occupiers after 506 days. Following a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry and recommendations, much of the land has been returned to or vested with Ngati Whatua.

Read more about the eviction of protestors and the return of the Bastion Point land.

Image: Bastion Point protest