New Zealand History
New Zealand was one of the last corners
of the planet to be inhabited by people. Around 950AD the Maori arrived from
Polynesia (Tonga and Hawaii) to the northern part of the North Island. There
is however evidence of earlier settlement by other more peaceful Polynesian
people.
The first European to see New Zealand officially was the Dutch sailor, Abel
Janszoon Tasman in December 1642 although there is evidence of Spanish or
Portuguese caravels visiting the North Island in a earlier period.
Maori war parties prevented Abel Tasman
from actually landing initially but he is recorded as the first European
to climb Mount Victoria in the Auckland harbour . In 1769-70 Captain James
Cook circumnavigated and charted New Zealand. Initial contact with the Maori
was also violent but in many areas his ship was welcomed and the scientific
nature of his visit was carried out with his ship wintering over in the scenic
Malbough Sounds.
The first European bases in New Zealand were offshoots of the American and
Australian whaling industry from 1790 onwards.
From 1839 to 1841, New Zealand was administered as part of the New South
Wales colony. In 1840 the Maori ceded the sovereignty of New Zealand to the
British in exchange for protection and guarantees on their land fearing
colonisation by France. For almost 20 years however, there was intermittent
fighting between different Maori tribes and colonists over disputes to land
and trading rights. In 1860 British troops and native irregular troops were
used to finally overcome Maori resistance to the British administration and
land use.
Gold was discovered mid-19thC in the
South Island and many more European settlers arrived - many staying to establish
farms in the South Island.
In the early 1880s new refrigerated ships (designed in New Zealand) made
it possible for New Zealand to begin to export dairy products and meat to
the United Kingdom and the economy became heavily agriculturally based.
New Zealand was the first sovereign state to give votes to women in 1893.
We pride ourselves on our culture of equal opportunities and lack of sex
discrimation.
In 1907 New Zealand gained dominion
status within the British Empire and was granted autonomy in 1931 by the
Statute of Westminster which was formally accepted in 1947.
New Zealand's involvement in the Great War of 1914-18 was a boost to the
export trade but was costly in lives. At the outbreak of World War II in
1939, troops were sent to the Europe to serve with distinction in Greece,
Crete, Western desert and Italy . However after 1941 New Zealand was threatened
directly by Japan and also became actively involved in the Pacific War with
the major turning point being the Battle of the Coral Sea between American
and Japanese Naval units.New Zealand Armed Forces now play an active part
in peace keeping with the United Nations peace keeping forces.
When the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community (now the European
Union) in the early 1970s, New Zealand began to export more heavily outside
the British Commonwealth and developed many new trading partners. The UK
is now 4th import/export partner for New Zealand after Australia, the USA
and Japan.
Location
| Geography | Weather
| History | People
Government |
Agriculture |
Industry | Air Transport
| Transport | Cities
Tourist Essentials |
Shopping | Fishing &
Hunting | Golf
Geysers & Volcanoes |
Wildlife | Great
Outdoors | Southern Sky
Member
of NZ ADS
|
