April 27, 2025 - The History of New Zealand through a Libertarian Anarchist lens. Please enjoy the ideas and let me know what you think.

1863: The Law Comes to Kaikoura

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Crown Law first came to Kaikoura with a single constable in 1863. He answered to the Marlborough Provincial Council (MPC) although that was a problematic idea in these early years. Leading up to the new police station the MPC had 2 rival administrations each with their own Superintendent and rival capitals: Picton and Blenhiem. One […]

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February 21, 2025

1200: Domesticated Moa

By AHNZ

So Minecraft has moas now and they can be tamed? Well, there may be precedent…. “We learn from Mr. Shand that the Moriori of the Chatham Islands kept sea-gulls, tern, and parquets tamed, and that they protected the wingless birds of the island, only allowing them to be taken for food at certain seasons. Is […]

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July 22, 2021

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1882: Dye’s Slaughterhouse

By AHNZ

Dye’s Slaughterhouse, Kaukapakapa. Est. c.1882. An iconic road-side feature on SHW16….has now fallen. Cyclone Tam’s remnants in April 2025 took it out at long last after over 140 years. Back in the 1860s and 1870s the way to get stock in and out of the district was by accessing the Kaipara Harbour. It was once […]

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April 18, 2025

1916: St George’s Bay

By AHNZ

An early aerial shot of Auckland Central from 1916, taken from a New Zealand Flying School aircraft. The harbor dredge is in the foreground of what was St George’s Bay. It has been reclaimed from the sea but was named after George Cooper, Hobson’s taxman. Behind we can see Albert Park (walled off?) and the […]

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April 17, 2025

1817: Tohunga Jack

By AHNZ

New Zealand, by 1867, was out of its pioneering era and into a new time period AHNZ calls the Colonial Saeculum. There was a Crisis due to the withdrawal of the Gold Rushes and Maori Wars that we had now come out on the other side of. For now we were doing well as a […]

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April 14, 2025

1893: Christchurch Savage Club

By AHNZ

The Christchurch Savage Club dates from 13 April 1893. A colonial off-shoot of the London Savage Club founded in 1857 by a group of authors, journalists and artists. A male social entertainment club for those with an interest in literature, music and art. However, this gentleman’s club was very different in that they were not […]

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April 13, 2025

1965: V-Jet Day

By AHNZ

Today in history, 10 April, 1965, New Zealand entered the international V-Jet air cargo network. Scheduled jet services now ran with Qantas Empire Airways between Christchurch and Sydney using the Boeing 707. We called it “V-Jet Day.” “Commanded by Captain “Torchy” Uren and crewed by Kiwis Bob Bishop, Alan Williams, and Alan Gill, as well […]

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April 10, 2025

1809: Te Pahi’s Rebuke

By AHNZ

Te Pahi, a Ngapuhi Chief has a fairly good reputation in early relations between the colony of New South Wales and New Zealand. He had been an honored guest in  Governor Philip King’s house in Sydney over 3 months. His son, Matara, visited England in 1809 and met King George III. Samuel Marsden’s mission also […]

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April 2, 2025

1965: TEAL Tiki

By AHNZ

Today in history, 1 April, 1965, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) changed its name to Air New Zealand. These plastic Maori tikis used to be in high circulation decades ago, sort of like the little Pizza Hut pencils used to be. I think I just figured out where they came from after all these years […]

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April 1, 2025

1880: Mount Eden Railway Station

By AHNZ

Today in New Zealand history, 29 March, 1880, the Mount Eden Railway Station opened on what was then called the Kaipara Railway. This and transformed the place. It used to be the outskirts which is why Mt Eden prison was put there. A huge ammunition factory was established in 1885. Mt Eden became highly populated […]

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March 29, 2025

2008: Harawene Immortalised

By AHNZ

She was a little stray dog named Harawene very well known in her time. So much so that when she died in April 2008 the community put up a bronze statue. Fiona Cairns led the erection of a cairn topped with the statue (it’s ridiculous how often people’s names match what they do…) I stumbled […]

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March 28, 2025