New Zealand History Timeline
New Zealand's Information
| Land Area | 264,537 km2 |
|---|---|
| Water Area | 4,301 km2 |
| Total Area | 268,838 km2 |
| Population | 4,474,549 |
| Population Density | 16.64 / km2 |
| Government Type | Parliamentary Democracy (New Zealand Parliament) Under A Constitutional Monarchy; A Commonwealth Realm |
| GDP (PPP) | $175.00 Billion |
| GDP Per Capita | $37,100 |
| Currency | Dollar (NZD) |
| Largest Cities |
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- (1350) Maori ancestors arrived in New Zealand on seven legendary canoes from Hawaiki (Great Migration)
- (1642) Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, discovered New Zealand, claimed for Holland; Maori killed four of Tasman's crew; Dutch charted west of North Island
- (1700 - 1730) Ngai Tahu migrated from Wellington to the South Island
- (1769 - 1770) English explorer, Capt. James Cook, charted coasts of North, South Islands; claimed New Zealand for Britain
- (1772) French explorer, Mar-Joseph Marion du Fresne, visited Northland; claimed country for France
- (1773) James Cook's second expedition arrived Queen Charlotte Sound; Maori killed nine crew
- (1790) Epidemic of rewha-rewha (influenza) killed 60% of Maori population in North Island
- (1815) First British missionaries arrived
- (1837) Colonization of New Zealand began
- (1840) Treaty of Waitangi signed by Maori chiefs and representatives of Queen Victoria of England; British law established in New Zealand; first capital established at Okiato (Russell)
- (1841) Capital moved from Russell to Auckland; New Zealand declared official crown colony
- (1842) 22 European settlers, four Maori killed at confrontation at Tuamarina
- (1845 - 1872) New Zealand Wars (Land Wars); Maori resisted British colonial rule
- (1845) Chief Hono-Heke led 700 Maoris in protest, burned town of Kororareka
- (1846) First New Zealand Constitution Act passed; country divided into two provinces
- (1848) Coal discovered at Brunner; earthquake damaged most buildings in Wellington
- (1850) Christchurch founded
- (1852) Second New Zealand Constitution Act passed, General Assembly and six provinces created
- (1854) First session of General Assembly held in Auckland
- (1855) Severe earthquake on both sides of Cook Strait caused land in Wellington to raise, plans for shipping basin canceled
- (1856) Henry Sewell formed first ministry in government, became first premier
- (1859) Gold discovered in Buller
- (1860) First Taranki War occurred; New Zealand held general election
- (1861) Gold discovered; Otago gold rush began; truce completed with Taranaki Maori
- (1862) First telegraph lined opened from Christchurch to Lyttelton
- (1863 - 1864) Waikato Wars occurred
- (1864) HMS Orpheus sank in Manukau Harbour, 189 killed; Waitkato War ended with battle of Orakau
- (1865) Capital, seat of government moved to Wellington; Auckland streets lit by gas
- (1867) Parliament established four Maori seats; all Maori men over 21 allowed to vote
- (1876) Provinces abolished, local government by counties and boroughs established; telegraph link established between Britain, New Zealand
- (1879) Explosion at Kaitangata coal mine killed 34; suffrage extended to all males over 21; annual property tax introduced
- (1886) Mount Tarawera erupted on North Island, 155 killed, several Maori, European settlements destroyed; oil discovered in Taranaki
- (1890) Australian, New Zealand Maritime Strike involved 8,000 unionists
- (1893) New Zealand first country in world to grant women right to vote
- (1894) SS Wairarapa struck reef at Great Barrier Island, sunk, 140 died
- (1896) National Council of Women founded; explosion at Brunner Mine killed 67
- (1898) New Zealand first country in world to give elderly a pension (Old Age Pensions Act)
1900's
- (1901) Cook and other Pacific Islands annexed, made part of New Zealand
- (1902) Steamer SS Elingamite sunk with large consignment of gold off North Coast, 45 died
- (1903) Aviator Richard Pearse flew self-made, mono-winged airplane at Waitohi
- (1907) New Zealand became Dominion; fire destroyed Parliament buildings
- (1914) World War I began; New Zealand committed troops to British war effort; New Zealand troops landed at Anzac Cove in Turkey
- (1917) 3,700 New Zealanders killed at Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium
- (1918) Influenza epidemic in New Zealand killed over 8,000; World War I ended; prohibition petition with 242,001 signatures presented to Parliament
- (1919) Women became eligible to run for Parliament
- (1920) ANZAC Day established
- (1931) Napier, Hastings devastated by earthquake, 256 people killed, thousands required medical care
- (1939 - 1945) World War II fought
- (1940) New Zealand declared war on Italy; ocean liner, RMS Niagara, struck land mine, sunk; German land mines laid in Hauraki Gulf
- (1941) New Zealand suffered heavy losses in Battle of Crete; New Zealand declared war on Japan after attack on Pearl Harbor
- (1942) American Army troops arrived in Auckland; American Marines arrived in Wellington
- (1943) New Zealand troops invaded Italy; Japanese prisoners of war rioted at Featherston camp, 48 Japanese killed, 61 wounded, one guard killed, 11 injured; over 1,000 American, New Zealand troops rioted in Wellington (Battle of Manners Street)
- (1947) Mabel Howard became first woman cabinet minister; New Zealand gained full independence from Britain; fire in Ballantyne's department store in Christchurch killed 41
- (1948) Polio epidemic closed schools; Mounts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe erupted
- (1950) New Zealand troops served with UN forces in Korean War (1950 - 1953)
- (1951) ANZUS security treaty signed between New Zealand, Australia, USA; strike by watersiders lasted 151 days
- (1953) Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, Tensing Norgay of Nepal became first climbers to reach summit of Mount Everest; flood swept express train away at Tangiwai, 151 killed
- (1961) New Zealand joined International Monetary Fund; capital punishment abolished
- (1962) Western Samoa became independent from New Zealand; New Zealand troops sent to Malaysia during Indonesian confrontation
- (1965) NAFTA agreement negotiated with Australia; Cook Island became self-governing
- (1975 Maori protested land loss, began march at Te Hapua, arrived Wellington
- (1977) 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) established
- (1979) Air New Zealand flight crashes on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 killed
- (1981) Riots broke out all over New Zealand in protest of South African rugby tour, described as worst 56 days in history of New Zealand
- (1985) New Zealand refused US nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships to enter ports, breaking ANZUS pact; established itself as world's first anti-nuclear country; French sunk Greenpeace vessel, Rainbow Warrior, at Auckland
- (1986) Constitution Act ended right of British Parliament to pass laws for New Zealand; Pope made first visit to New Zealand
- (1995) Team New Zealand won America's Cup
- (1996) Government agreed to settle land claim filed by Maoris, Ngai Tahu people to receive land and cash worth $117 million, regained some fishing rights
- (1997) Activist attack damaged America's Cup; Auckland's Sky Tower opened; Customs investigated claims of odometer fraud on imported Japanese cars
- (1998) Waitangi Tribunal ordered government to return confiscated land in Turangi to Maori owners; Women's rugby team, Black Ferns, became world champions; tuberculosis discovered in South Auckland; power cables failed in Auckland, city left without full power for over a month
- (1999) Peter Jackson began filming "Lord of the Rings" trilogy
- (2000) Team New Zealand successfully defended America's Cup
- (2001) Thousands of red fire ants found at Auckland International Airport; New Zealand suffered severe summer drought; Government rescued Air New Zealand
- (2003) Tens of thousands of New Zealanders demonstrated against Iraq war; Australia, New Zealand began withdrawing troops from Solomon Islands; four Latvian climbers plunged to their deaths from Mount Cook; pilot Kelvin Stark killed while flying new plane to California, plane was first passenger plane built in New Zealand designed for skydiving; avalanche swept down Mount Tasman, killed four climbers, injured two
- (2004) 3,400 gallons of fuel spilled in fjord listed as World Heritage site, officials said spill was eco-terrorism and economic sabotage against tourism industry
- (2006) New Zealand troops joined intervention forces in East Timor
- (2007) Police arrested 17 in anti-terror raid, Maori activists accused of planning violence against country's white majority
- (2008) Mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary died