1998: Bill Maher Hall
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Visitors to the West Coast passing down State Highway 6 a little south of Greymouth might rightly wonder why there is a Bill Maher Hall here. Of course you would resist the thought of it being named for the famous American commentator-commentator named Bill Maher. Except…there’s a huge cartoon on the building facing the road […]
Read more..October 14, 2024
1864: Fitzgerald’s Picnic Party
By AHNZ
Opening the Road to the Gold This April 1864 expedition (dubbed ‘The Picnic Party‘) is one example of Canterbury Superintendent James Fitzgerald throwing himself personally into solving problems. A safe reliable way had to be found between Christchurch and the new West Coast gold fields least Greymouth or Hokitika reap the metropolitan power and prosperity […]
Read more..April 5, 2019
1979: Operation Midford
By AHNZ
In 1979 New Zealand contributed 74 soldiers to a monitoring force in Rhodesia and 2 observing Members of Parliament. It was called Operation Milford. The country had been one of our colonial cousins and its Prime Minister (1953-8) Garfield Todd was a New Zealander himself. Under international sanctions, Rhodesia opted for self-deletion and became Robert […]
Read more..October 1, 2024
1963: Auckland Flying School
By AHNZ
Today in history, 28 September 1963, Jim Bergman established New Zealand’s first flying school since the old pioneering days of Wigrim and Walsh in the 1920s. Those schools had been promptly taken over by The State which left aviation innovation and participation to atrophy. Bergman rested his case on the everything which is not forbidden […]
Read more..September 28, 2024
1865: Native Rights Act
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 26 September, 1865, the Native Rights Act became law. It is seldom, or never, mentioned in government history books yet has huge significance to our constitutional history. “An Act to declare that the Maoris shall be deemed to be natural-born subjects of Her Majesty and to declare that the jurisdiction […]
Read more..September 26, 2024
1903: Wireless Telegraphy Act
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 23 September, 1903, the era of Government control over broadcasting began. The Seddon Ministry had passed the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1903. New Zealand’s Government was the first in the world to exercise a complete state monopoly, denying citizens of their right to transmit or receive radio messages. No wonder, […]
Read more..September 23, 2024
1989: Idiot Played Rachmaninov
By AHNZ
The New Zealand dystopian novel genre was already thriving in the 1980s when Michael Brown (1948-) capped it off with The Idiot Played Rachmaninov. We already had C.K. Stead’s Smith’s Dream (1971) and Craig Harrison’s The Quiet Earth (1981) and Maurice Gee’s Under the Mountain (1979) which all made it to screen as well. Brown also had […]
Read more..September 21, 2024
1981: Ruahihi Disaster
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 19 September, 1981, the Ruahihi Power Station was officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon. It was part of National 3.0 era Think Big program and had coast $27 million. “Rumour is that they had overfilled the canal for the opening to look impressive for Muldons opening..” Ref. Comment to […]
Read more..September 19, 2024
1873: Softness of Brain
By AHNZ
Today in history, 11 September, 1873, the father of the New Zealand Police Force died. I’ve named an era after him called Branigan Honor Culture. He was St. John Branigan and that would have been pronounced ‘Sinjin’. New Zealand’s top policeman in his day. Otago’s gold diggings were attracting a great many Australians. Logically this, […]
Read more..September 11, 2024
1952: Invercargill’s Last Tram
By AHNZ
For 40 years Invercargill had an electric tram system until today in history, 10 September, 1952. This image shows Mayor William Ott and others at the opening which was 26th March 1912. Prime Minister Joe Ward was there too, of course (he would show up at the opening of an envelope…) Being of German descent […]
Read more..September 10, 2024
1978: Turn to Industry
By AHNZ
On 21 May, 2024, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, was addressing a private meeting of seafood industry representatives on planned law changes. Jones has made many such exciting addresses in his various capacities. In Blackball he wore a miners helmet, in Westport he wore a captain’s hat. I wouldn’t be surprised if […]
Read more..September 8, 2024
