1902: Taipo Explosives Ltd.
By
A new article in the Otago Daily Times reveals a bit of Dunedin history by John Lewis. Mostly the information is directly cribbed from from this Gumtree listing (aka “Australian online antique auction site” but really just Aussie Trade Me.) It concerns a fairly common old drinking flask but with engravings relevant to our history. […]
Read more..December 14, 2024
1901: The Great Cheviot Earthquake
By AHNZ
The settlers of Cheviot were dealt a vicious blow on 16 November, 1901, with The Great Cheviot Earthquake. Commercial and residential buildings were bowled over that day. The small town was ‘in a state of collapse and business suspended.’ Refugees either took to tents or left the district to seek intact housing. Only one person […]
Read more..December 11, 2023
1977: Bastion Point
By AHNZ
The Bastion Point occupation got underway today in New Zealand history, 5 January 1977. After many warnings and deadlines ignored, The State finally put a stop to this major protest after 506 days; it ended on 25 May 1978. Representatives of the Ngati Whatua were not happy about their ancestral leaders selling the land to […]
Read more..January 5, 2025
2005: Bo-Gyung Ko
By AHNZ
Asian women have long dominated the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) where competition is fierce and prize-money huge. Even the barriers to entry into the competition circuit itself is greatly prohibitive. A novel way to differentiate a player and open some doors apparently occurred to one Republic of Korea couple, Mr and Mrs Ko. By […]
Read more..January 3, 2025
1888: Reefton’s Electric Christmas
By AHNZ
The year 1870 marked a new phase in New Zealand gold mining with the discovery of deposits in the Inangahua Valley; Reefton. If not for the new stimulus of Reefton quartz and Kumara alluvial the West Coast’s Golden days would have been done. Many who had come to the Coast for gold had already moved […]
Read more..December 31, 2024
1996: Fly Buys
By AHNZ
Fly Buys, est. 1996, was once huge but ended at the stroke of midnight on 1 January, 2025. “The Flybuys catalogue became legendary, filled with an endless array of items that could be “purchased” with points. At its peak, Flybuys had over 20 contributing partners, close to 3 million members, and featured in 80% of […]
Read more..December 30, 2024
1902: Waimarino County
By AHNZ
Waimarino County came into existence by its own Act of Parliament on 2 October, 1902. The Waimarino block, located at the foot of Mount Ruapehu, had enough settlers to have transitioned from Settler frontier, to Road Board, to County. By 1918 they had their own County Offices at the County Seat of Raetihi but it was destroyed […]
Read more..December 24, 2024
1642: New Zealand’s First Christmas
By AHNZ
On the night before Christmas, 1642, the danger of losing it troubled more than a few. The Twelve Days of Christmas were due to begin, but in Protestant nations the future looked thin. Now Scotland, now England, now German and Swiss! The Christmas tradition faced the abyss! The Wokesters of their day, the Puritans, the […]
Read more..December 20, 2024
1993: Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge
By AHNZ
Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge (est.1993) was a creation of Paratene Matchitt from Napier (why can’t locals produce their own culture?) It cost $2,300,000 at the time. Matchitt indifferent to what the customer would think of it. Rather than relating to New Zealand, the expensive decorations look more like some heathen Aztec totem pole keeled […]
Read more..December 19, 2024
1893: Greymouth-Hokitika Line
By AHNZ
Today in history, 18 December, 1893, the Greymouth-Hokitika line was finally opened. Started in the late 1870s much of it had been completed so long ago it was rusting and buckling and the hope of ever seeing a train was a joke. Technically the line had been opened by Premier Seddon in June but governments […]
Read more..December 18, 2024
1947: Kaitaia Airport
By AHNZ
Kaitaia Airport opened on 21 January, 1947.¹ Prior to this it had been Awanui Aerodrome which was created to support the Pacific War efforts by New Zealand and US Forces. The land was purchased from a portion of a Dalmatian farmer’s land for the war effort. Millions were invested to make it a Pacific air […]
Read more..December 17, 2024
