1900s: Fake Plastic Maoriland
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We’re starting to better understand where the fantasy idea of Maori as noble savages came from in the first place. Especially these days, the pre-Cook times of the Maoris are re-imagined as a sort of Noble-Savages-in-Smurf-Village. The reality is that superstition and the spear ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world […]
Read more..October 7, 2019
1881: King Tawhiao Visits Cambridge
By AHNZ
Today in New Zealand history, 21 July., 1881, Maori King Tawhiao came to Cambridge with 600+ of his people for some 4 days in a peaceful reception. The King had kept Cambridge waiting like a groom at the altar waiting for the bride to appear at the church. The guests were organised for attendance a […]
Read more..July 21, 2023
1954: Lizzy’s Side
By AHNZ
Today in history, 17 January, 1954, The Queen of New Zealand visited Greymouth. She traveled by air to Hokitika then was driven north to spend the night at Revingtons Hotel (demolished 2020.) The Coasters were greatly excited and enthusiastic to have the Royal couple on their soil. Even so, as you can see in the […]
Read more..January 17, 2025
1912: Muriwai Mystery
By AHNZ
Muriwai Beach, West Auckland, has a very long history. Even 100 years ago historians and naturalists were able to excavate even older remains from the rubbish piles they had left behind. For example, the unusual discovery of the Muriwai beach boomerang in 1925 stands out. Ref. 1925: Maori Boomerang Discovered, AHNZ Various groups inhabited the […]
Read more..January 13, 2025
1991: Te Rua
By AHNZ
Te Rua. A government-funded heist movie where German art imported from New Zealand is the tempting target. Wi Kuki Kaa’s fine acting performance as a Silent Generation Maori elite clinking glasses in Europe. But his conscience is tortured by his art thief nephew and this guilt-tripping white women. How much emotional blackmail can a man […]
Read more..January 9, 2025
1973: The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival
By AHNZ
Tonight in New Zealand history, 8 January, 1973, Black Sabbath wrapped up the Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival. This was our version of Woodstock, New Zealand’s first significant outdoor music event, attracting 18,000 people. Mainstream Boomers were into their Hippy or Country music. Festival organisers Barry Coburn and Robert Raymond were offering an alternative. Ngaruawahia would be […]
Read more..January 8, 2025
1836: Pukaki’s Gateway
By AHNZ
Little did we know that our 20c coin these last 20 years featured a cannibal chief in the midst of a necrophilic sex act! Pukaki, a Te Arawa warlord from 1700s Rotorua lived a violent life. Maoris at this time lived in a Hobbsean war of all against all. Constant strife was either simmering or […]
Read more..January 6, 2025
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
