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New Zealand History

Latest Contributing Articles


New Zealand's First Frozen Meat Export
The combination of entrepreneurship and refrigeration technology led to the establishment of the export meat industry in New Zealand.
When Did New Zealand Gain Sovereignty?
Today, New Zealand exists has a sovereign state, yet the date when it became a sovereign nation has long me disputed between 1857, 1907, 1947 and 1987.
Polish Children's 65th Reunion, Wellington, NZ
In 1944, 733 Polish children disembarked in Wellington. Some were accompanied by a parent; most left families behind in unmarked graves across Siberia and Central Asia.
Origins of the New Zealand Haka – Ka Mate
As with any highly regarded relic, the origins of the Haka lay in a confusing past of smoky fact and conflicting legend
Naming Places
Across cultures people have given names to mountains, rivers, rock formations, clearings and settlements. What are the reasons for this human instinct to identify?
Early Timber Cruising in New Zealand Forests
As a young forest ranger and timber appraiser for the New Zealand Forest Service, Ken Seymour spent three years camping rough in the bush and at work sites and sawmills.
Gum Digging: Romantic History or Living Hell?
Like gold miners in Alaska, the men who harvested kauri gum were renowned for their ruggedness. But their independent life was a hard one.
Lessons in Surviving Recession
In economic downturn, history shows that government intervention may not be as important as personal initiative and the help of others in the community.
Aotearoa New Zealand Maori Mythology
Like other indigenous cultures, New Zealand's first inhabitants, the Maori, drew on colourful mythology to explain the origins of their land.
Human Migration and Colonisation
New Zealand is called the youngest country on earth because it was last to be colonised by humans at the extreme end of the land chain from the Old World, 800 years ago.