A Short History of New Zealand Quiz

Answer: Mid to late 1200s

According to tradition, the first Maori sailed by waka (canoes) to New Zealand from Hawaiki, the place where Io created the world and its first people. This is where each person comes from and where each person will return after they die. The discovery of New Zealand is attributed to Kupe. He followed a great octopus that belonged to his rival from Hawaiki to what is now Cook Strait, the narrow strip of water that separates the North and South Islands.

The Maori name for New Zealand, Aotearoa, 'long white cloud', has been attributed to Kupe's wife, who gave it the name after she saw the North Island for the first time. Many years after Kupe discovered New Zealand, many waka made the trip to New Zealand from Hawaiki to Aotearoa. Maori disclose their founding waka first when identifying themselves. (Strictly speaking, "Aotearoa" refers only to the North Island. While this name is in common usage in New Zealand, it has no official status.)

Maori first discovered and settled in New Zealand sometime between 1250 and 1300 AD according to archaeological evidence, making Aotearoa the last place on earth to be inhabited. These journeys from Polynesia were deliberate discovery voyages. They navigated using ocean currents, prevailing winds, and the stars. These settlers were not known as Maori and did not identify themselves with a collective name until European arrival when they adopted the name Maori to differentiate themselves from the Europeans (Pakeha).

Early waka landed on the east coast of the North Island, especially around Whangaparoa on the Bay of Plenty. The South Island was inhabited approximately 20 years later. They explored the coastline of both islands - there is scientific evidence that by 1400 AD, all of Aotearoa had been explored. Early settlements were concentrated near the mouths of rivers as there was fresh water and fish. Hunting was a major source of food, particularly fur seal and moa, large flightless birds that are now extinct. Horticulture developed quickly in the North Island, as early settlers had bought sweet potato (kumara) and yams. Settlements moved inland as a result of the lesser dependency on coastal resources to survive. Fighting between settlements was common, but Maori lived in open settlements rather than in fortified pa, hill forts and defensive settlements.

Answer: 1915

With the outbreak of WWI, Prime Minister William Massey pledged New Zealand's allegiance as part of the British Empire. In October 1914, the 8454-strong New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) sailed out of Wellington, joined the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and sailed in convoy across the Indian Ocean to join the British on the Western front. However, when the Ottoman Empire entered the war, this posed a threat to the Suez Canal access, so the Australian and New Zealand expeditionary forces were offloaded in Egypt to supplement the British guarding the canal.

In April 1915, the NZEF was transported to Greece to prepare for the invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula. This thin tract of land was important because it protected the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait, a strategic waterway leading to the Sea of Marmara and subsequently the Bosphorus, which led to the Black Sea. The Allied plan was to break through these waters, capture the Ottoman capital, Constantinople, and force the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The British and French warships failed to gain the straits, so an Allied Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) was dispatched to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula.

New Zealanders and Australians comprised half of the MEF's 75,000 troops, which launched its invasion of the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915. Under Lieutenant-General Sir William Birdwood's command, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) made a diversionary attack 20 km to the north of the British and French troops who made the main landing at Cape Helles at the very south of the peninsula. The ANZACs landed about 2 km north of the intended site where instead of a flat expanse of coastline, they disembarked at Anzac Cove, a small beach overlooked by steep cliffs. These landings never achieved their goals - the fighting resulted in trench warfare after heavy initial losses of the ANZACs. In May 1915, the New Zealand Infantry Brigade was transported south to Helles, to help the British, but the attack was a disaster, with over 800 New Zealand casualties. The ANZACs undertook two more attacks in Gallipoli, but the stalemate was never broken.

In November 1915, the British decided to cut their losses and evacuate the Dardanelles. Starting on 15 December, over 36,000 troops were withdrawn successfully over the following five nights. The Gallipoli Campaign was a small part of WWI. Nevertheless, for New Zealand, (and Australia) as well as Turkey, it has great significance. Gallipoli helped develop a sense of national identity in both New Zealand and Australia, very new countries on the world stage. Those still at home were very proud of how their sons had performed on the other side of the world and had established a reputation for fighting hard under impossible odds.

Anzac Day emerged from this newfound sense of identity. The first time it was observed was on 25 April 1916. The annual landing date has become a seminal part of national life in both countries. Anzac Day is a day commemorating not only those who died at Gallipoli, but all New Zealanders and Australians who have served their country in the armed forces.

Answer: 1642

In August 1642, Tasman sailed from Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia) to explore the great unknown east of the Cape of Good Hope, southern Africa. He sailed west to Mauritius, then due east rounding the southern tip of what is now Tasmania and named it Van Diemen's Land. He recognised it was an island when he reached Bass Strait. He was looking for a large land mass, not islands, so he continued east with the roaring forties to help him. On 13 December 1642 Tasman sighted land on the northwestern coast of the South Island though it was not called this at the time. This was the first sighting of New Zealand by Europeans.

Tasman sailed north and anchored in what is now known as Golden Bay. He encountered Maori waka (canoes), but it was not a friendly encounter and four sailors were killed. Tasman named the place Murderers Bay and sailed on. Tasman sailed north believing he had found the western side of the Terra Australis land mass. When he reached Cook Strait, he mistook it for a bight and called it "Zeehaen's Bight". He kept on sailing, naming small islands north of the tip of the North Island before sailing back to Batavia via Tonga and Fiji.

Answer: 1769

While Tasman discovered New Zealand, he was not the first European to make landfall. It took another 127 years for that to occur when Captain James Cook landed on the north bank of the Turanganui River, near what is now the city of Gisborne. However, the initial encounter did not go well when one of Cook's crew mistook what was probably a ceremonial challenge for what he believed to be an attack resulting in the indigenous man being shot and killed.

A second encounter was more successful as Cook brought with him Tupiai, a Tahitian priest who was able to converse with the Maori. The peaceful exchange was spoilt when Te Rakau, a chief, was killed trying to exchange weapons which was misunderstood. However, Tupiai proved valuable on subsequent Endeavor landings where Maori were present. Tupiai understood the complex customs of the indigenous peoples and was a suitable translator for Cook. After Cook left, the "Endeavour" was remembered by Maori as 'Tupaia's ship'. The Tahitian priest who was regarded as a tohunga from Hawaiki, had more influence on the local people - than Cook or any other European on board.

Cook's further landings were generally more peaceful and further north in Mercury Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula, Cook claimed possession for Great Britain. Cook circumnavigated the North Island on his first voyage and proved it was not part of the larger land mass Terra Australis.

Answer: 1907

On 26 September 1907, the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. New Zealand was proclaimed a dominion within the British Empire. At the time New Zealand's premier, Sir Joseph Ward wanted to distinguish NZ from Australia (NZ had briefly been part of the colony of New South Wales before it became a colony in its own right.) There was no tangible shift, however, to the legal status of New Zealand - the premier became the prime minister - but in 1907, few New Zealanders wanted greater independence from Britain. However, the title underlined New Zealand's already self-governing status.

In 1926, South Africans and Canadians pressured the Great Britain government, resulting in the Balfour Declaration which stated that Britain and the dominions: "Are autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations."

At the time, Gordon Coates, New Zealand's prime minister, called this a 'poisonous document', and New Zealand denied ratifying the Statute of Westminster (1931), which removed Great Britain's right to legislate for the dominions unless they requested it. New Zealand finally signed the statute in 1947. Still, it wasn't until it legislated and implemented the Constitution Act in 1986 that finally removed the last remaining provision for the British Parliament to make laws on behalf of New Zealand.

Answer: 1893

In the early days of New Zealand's colonial settlement, women, like most European societies, were excluded from political life. However, Maori had a strong matriarchal culture and this may have been an influence on women's suffrage campaigners, led by Kate Sheppard. In 1893 New Zealand was the first country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in national elections. They voted in the next election which was held later the same year. Also in 1893, Elizabeth Yates was voted in as Mayor of Onehunga, a town west of Auckland. This was the first time such a political appointment had been held by a woman across the entire British Empire.

In the early 21st Century, there were more women than men on the NZ electoral role and there is also a persistence that NZ women voted more often than their male counterparts. In the 25 years between December 1997 and January 2023, three of the five New Zealander prime ministers were women.

Answer: 1931

The Hawkes Bay Earthquake was New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster to date. The 1931 earthquake with an epicentre 15 km north of Napier on North Island's east coast had a magnitude of 7.8 with over 500 aftershocks. A total of 256 people were killed. The death toll would have been higher if the Royal Navy ship "HMS Veronica" had not been in port. The ship was sent radio messages for help in an area now totally devoid of electricity. Napier as a town, was flattened as was nearly all of the adjacent town of Hastings. Some 40 km sq of seabed was uplifted to become dry land and the Ahuriri Lagoon was lifted more than 2.5 metres, draining all of the lagoon. The Hawke's Bay airport now sits in this area.

The two towns were rebuilt, though, with heavy reinforcing in new buildings after a review of building codes was found to be manifestly inadequate. One good thing arose out of the rubble. Most of the buildings were rebuilt in the current architectural style which was Art Deco, and, as such, Napier became a tourist attraction due to its propensity for these types of buildings. It is significant that almost 100 years after the earthquake in the 2023 census there were only four buildings taller than five stories.

Answer: 1840

The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840 by Captain William Hobson as a representative and consul for the British Crown and by Maori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand. The document is of fundamental importance to the history of New Zealand and its constitution. It played a major role in the interaction and treatment of the Maori people in New Zealand, and it was intended for Maori and Pakeha (white man) to live harmoniously. The treaty document is actually an agreement, not a treaty per se, as described in international law. It has no legal status on its own, however, it is legally effective when it is recognised in various subsequent New Zealand statutes. It aimed to establish a British Governor of New Zealand, recognise Maori ownership of their lands and possessions, and give Maori the same rights as British subjects. It was intended to ensure the Maori people had been heard when Lieutenant Governor Hobson declared British sovereignty over New Zealand three months later. The Maori version was signed by 530-540 Maori but only 39 signed the English version.

Despite good intentions, there were inconsistencies in the translation of the Maori version. These inconsistencies created much disagreement in later years, leading to the New Zealand Wars of 1845-72. After the wars, the treaty was effectively ignored by the NZ government. Consequently, the Maori people lost control of a great deal of land, sometimes through legitimate sales, but often by the squatting of settlers, unfair deals, and confiscation.

In the 1950s, Maori sought to use the treaty to argue for their sovereign rights and to reclaim their lost land. This culminated in the passing of the Treaty of Waitangi Act by the NZ parliament in 1975. This legislation established the Waitangi Tribunal as a permanent commission of inquiry. The tribunal's terms of reference include interpreting the treaty, investigating breaches and recommending redress when appropriate. Their findings are not binding by the government; however, reparations over $NZ1 billion have been paid out by the government. In the 21st century, the treaty is recognised as a founding document within the country's unwritten constitution. In 1973, Waitangi Day was proclaimed a national holiday to commemorate the treaty's signing.

Answer: 2011

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch and surrounding districts in February 2011 killed 185 people, and just as many were injured. It caused $45 billion in damages. Up to 98,000 buildings were damaged with 10,000 buildings needing to be demolished. At the time it was New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster, its costliest, and, when it happened, it was the 21st-most-expensive disaster in history. Over 70,000 people left the city afterwards either because they could not find suitable, safe accommodation or because of the trauma they endured.

This may have been an aftershock of the September 2010 Canterbury 7.1 magnitude earthquake that caused damage in Christchurch and injured several people. The less intense February 2011 quake was far more destructive as the epicentre was only 6km south of the city between the city centre and Lyttleton, the port of Christchurch.

Answer: 1985

The terrorist act of sinking the Greenpeace ship, the "Rainbow Warrior", in Auckland Harbour caused more than outrage in peace-loving New Zealand. It helped forge the national character of New Zealand and demonstrated their capacity to be independent of their Allies when the occasion arose.

The basic facts of the sinking were that the ship was moored in Auckland Harbour before visiting and possibly disrupting French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll. French Secret Service agents planted two bombs on the ship. After the first detonated, photographer Fernando Pereira went to retrieve camera equipment from the boat and was killed by the second explosion. Two French agents were tried for manslaughter but were returned to France not long into their 10-year sentence. The situation caused the French government a great deal of political embarrassment. The sinking occurred within an international organisation and not in New Zealand per se. However, most New Zealanders did not recognise this delineation. Because it was undertaken on New Zealand territory by an allied nation caused outrage across the nation and damaged relations, some would say permanently between New Zealand and France.

The outrage had a deeper context that stretched back to the 1960s when New Zealand vehemently protested over nuclear weapon testing in the Pacific Ocean. While the British, American and Soviet governments agreed to stop atmospheric testing, France China and India did not. In May 1973, the New Zealand and Australian governments took France to the International Court of Justice to obtain a ruling to permanently stop the tests. France ignored the court's interim ruling favouring New Zealand and Australia. Greenpeace vessels and NZ navy ships sailed into the atoll to disrupt the test. These protests had some success with the new French president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, in 1974 ordering the tests underground. However, the Kiwi stance on nuclear power went further. When nuclear-powered American warships visited NZ, Civil Defence established a public safety headquarters for the duration of the visit. Between 1978 and 1983 opposition to nuclear-armed ship visits increased from 32% to 72%. Few New Zealanders, unlike the British and the Americans, felt threatened by the Soviet Union but they did fear the nuclear bomb. This came to a head just before the 1984 election when the (National Party) PM spoke about the visits "as an important expression of New Zealand's support for ANZUS and the country's relationship with the United States". (ANZUS -The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty was an agreement signed in 1951 to protect the security of the Pacific).

The Labour Party campaigned against nuclear power and weapons, but not against ANZUS. They easily won power winning 56 of 95 seats. Later in the same year, The US requested that the non-nuclear armed but nuclear-powered destroyer USS Buchanan visit New Zealand. The government said no. United States Secretary of State, George Shultz announced that the United States would no longer maintain its security guarantee to New Zealand. The Kiwis cared less. In 1987 Labour passed the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act. The US retaliated with the Broomfield Act which downgraded New Zealand's status from ally to friend. PM David Lange stated "If the security alliance was the price New Zealand must pay to remain nuclear-free, 'it is the price we are prepared to pay".

In 1989, a poll of a majority of New Zealanders revealed that they would rather sever defence ties than admit nuclear-armed ships. By 1985, New Zealand was seen worldwide as the leader of the anti-nuclear movement. The sinking of the "Rainbow Warrior" was meant to be a "lesson" for New Zealand. It caused huge public outrage and only increased the protests at Moruroa Atoll. Both Greenpeace and New Zealand attracted a huge amount of support, and the bombing had the opposite effect to what the French government wanted.