1875: Jackson Bay
By
The Jackson Bay debacle was yet another government scam, perhaps the most cruel, perpetrated by the Vogel Ministry in the 1870s. Squandering New Zealanders’ money was just the start. Add to this indebting us, and turning our recession into an economic depression so bad and so long historians call it The Long Depression. Worse yet, […]
Read more..January 19, 2025
1814: Colonisation is just “plastic, chewing gum and washing machines”
By AHNZ
This week Willie Jackson hit back at fellow MP Paul Goldsmith for pointing out that colonisation was a net benefit to the Maoris. Jackson spoke of “inclusion” and “respect” then went on to reduce the body of Western culture to a “sale at Briscoes.” The benefits of colonisation, he supposes, can be summed up as […]
Read more..June 12, 2021
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 […]
Read more..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 […]
Read more..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 […]
Read more..March 28, 2025
1960: Toot and Whistle
By AHNZ
Rotorua history: The Toot ‘n’ Whistle miniature train was built by John Smale, who started it in 1958. It was opened to the public to ride in 1960. In 2004 the operator had to abandon it because Kuirau Park was becoming dangerous due to geothermal activity. Government’s fault, as per usual. “Once the local council […]
Read more..March 27, 2025
New Zealand English: A Conversation with Kelly Kahukiwa
By AHNZ
The following was a useful conversation with a visitor to AHNZ named Kelly Kahukiwa. Our topic was Is New Zealand English Endangered? Of course there is a Kiwi accent that is part of our cultural heritage. Being a new country our traditions are young too but that is how all dialects and language forks must […]
Read more..March 26, 2025
1874: Transit of Venus
By AHNZ
On December 9, 1874 an American observation party of 6 was led by Professor C. H. Peters to Queenstown. Time to observe the Transit of Venus across the sun and take photos! The scientist were very, very, well received by the community but no scientists were among them. No “formal” scientific “partnership,” as recently claimed. […]
Read more..March 25, 2025
1964: Washday at the Pa
By AHNZ
A great New Zealand book burning took place from August 1964 by The State. Our Government, the National 2.0 Ministry was in fact recalling and destroying its own books! From May that year 38,000 copies of a picture book had gone to the government schools of the nation named Washday at the Pa by Ans […]
Read more..March 24, 2025
1864: Monmouth Redoubt
By AHNZ
The Monmouth Redoubt was built by the 43rd Monmouthshire Light Infantry Regiment who had arrived in Tauranga in January 1864. It provided a refuge for women and children who slept on the floor fully dressed during this time, emergency rations and a bottle of water within reach. This and other fortifications cut enemy supply to […]
Read more..March 22, 2025
1902: Maori Parliament Shut Down
By AHNZ
Today in history, 21 March, 1902, Te Kotahitanga, the Maori Parliament, shut shop forever. The Maori Parliament (1892 – 1902) had been an exercise of self-government by Maori ‘from the Bay of Islands to the Bluff.’ Essentially it was a great conference hosted at different locations over those years. The idea was to agree to […]
Read more..March 21, 2025
