This is a timeline of the

history of New Zealand The history of New Zealand ( Aotearoa) dates back to between 1320 and 1350 CE, when the main settlement period started, after it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture. Like other Pacific cultures, M� ...

that includes only events deemed to be of principal importance – for less important events click the year heading or refer to

List of years in New Zealand The table of years in New Zealand is a tabular display of all years in New Zealand, for overview and quick navigation to any year. While a chronological century would include the years (e.g.) 1801 to 1900, and hence a decade would be 1801-1810 ...

Prehistory (to 1000 CE)

* 85

mya Mya may refer to: Brands and product names * Mya (program), an intelligent personal assistant created by Motorola * Mya (TV channel), an Italian Television channel * Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program Codes * Burmese ...

: Around this time New Zealand splits from the supercontinent

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

. * 5 mya: New Zealand's climate cools as Australia drifts north. Animals that have adapted to warm temperate and subtropical conditions become extinct. * 26,500 BP: The Taupō volcano erupts extremely violently, covering much of the country with

volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, created during volcano, volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used t ...

and causing the Waikato River to avulse from the Hauraki Plains to its current path through the Waikato to the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

. * 18,000 BP: New Zealand's North and South islands are connected by a land bridge during the last ice age. Glaciers spread from the Southern Alps carving valleys and making fiords in the South Island. The land bridge is submerged around 9,700 BCE. * 181 CE:

Lake Taupō Lake Taupō (also spelled Taupo; mi, Taupō-nui-a-Tia or ) is a large crater lake in New Zealand's North Island, located in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano. The lake is the namesake of the town of Taupō, which sits on a bay in the lake's nor ...

erupts violently.

Pre-colonial time (1000 to 1839)

1000 to 1600

* c1280: Earliest archaeological sites provide evidence that initial settlement of New Zealand occurred around 1280 CE. * ~1300: Most likely period of ongoing early settlement of New Zealand by Polynesian people (the Archaic Moa-Hunter Culture). * ~1400: Rangitoto Island near

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

is formed by a series of eruptions. * 1400~1500: Development of the Classic Māori Material Culture including expansion of Māori settlement from coastal to inland areas, increase in horticulture and development of

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites o ...

(hillforts) * ~1400~1450: Most likely extinction of the moa. * 1576: Speculation exists that around this time Spanish explorer Juan Fernández visited New Zealand although this is not generally accepted by most reputable authorities.

17th century

;1601 onwards * Expansion and migration of Māori groups and formation of classic

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

. (many still existing today) ;1642 * 13 December: Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

. He called it Staten Landt but the Dutch East India Company cartographer Joan Blaeu subsequently changed it to Nieuw Zeeland. * 18 December: Abel Tasman's expedition sails around

Farewell Spit Farewell Spit ( mi, Onetahua) is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the Golden Bay, South Island of New Zealand. It runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point. Farewell Spit is a legally protected Nature Reserve ...

and into

Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to: * Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island * Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta * Golden Bay High School, a high school in Takaka, New Zealand * Golden Bay, Wes ...

. Dutch sailors sight local

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. * 19 December: Four of Tasman's crew are killed at Wharewharangi (Murderers) Bay by a

Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri is a Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand, who arrived on the ''Kurahaupō'' waka. In the 1600s the iwi settled northwestern South Island, becoming a major power in the region until the 1800s. In 1642, members of Ngāti Tūmat ...

war party. Tasman's ships are approached by 11 waka as he leaves and his ships fire on them, hitting a Māori standing in one of the waka. Tasman's ships depart without landing. The Dutch chart the west of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

18th century

;1701–1730 * Ngāi Tahu migrate from

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

to the

, as far south as

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

. ;1769 * 8 October: English explorer

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

makes his first visit to New Zealand on board the ''Endeavour'', and sails into

Poverty Bay Poverty Bay (Māori: ''Tūranganui-a-Kiwa'') is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawke Bay. It stretches for from Young Nick's Head in the southwest to Tuaheni Point in the north ...

* Cook maps the majority of the New Zealand coastline. * French trader Jean de Surville explores parts of the New Zealand coast. * 25 December : The first Christian service in New Zealand waters when Mass is celebrated on Christmas Day in

Doubtless Bay Doubtless Bay is a bay on the east coast of the Northland Region, north-east of Kaitaia, in New Zealand. It extends from Knuckle Point on Karikari Peninsula in the north to Berghan Point at Hihi in the south. There are rocky headlands, backed by ...

by Father

Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix OP (born 1728 - 1780John Dunmore, "From Nieuw-Zeeland to Nouvelle-Zélande", ''Marist messenger'', February 2020, p. 16) was a French Dominican priest. He conducted the first Christian service in New Zealand. He ...

of the de Surville expedition. ;1772 * April: Expedition of French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visits Northland, and anchors at

Spirits Bay Spirits Bay, officially named Piwhane / Spirits Bay, is a remote bay at the northern end of the Aupouri Peninsula, which forms the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island. It lies between Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the west and Ngataea ...

. * 12 June: Marion du Fresne is killed at Tacoury's Cove, Bay of Islands by local Māori. ;1773 * April: Cook's second expedition arrives in Queen Charlotte Sound * 18 December: A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two

and nine members of Cook's expedition. ;1777 * Cook returns to New Zealand aboard the ''Resolution'', accompanied by the ''Discovery'' captained by

Charles Clerke Captain Charles Clerke (22 August 1741 – 22 August 1779) was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration, three with Captain James Cook. When Cook was killed during his 3rd expedition to the Pacific, Clerke took co ...

.McLauchlan, Gordon ''A Short History of New Zealand'' Penguin Group, 2005. ;1788 *

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

founded, which, according to Governor Phillip's Commission, includes the islands of New Zealand. ;1790 * An epidemic of ''rewha-rewha'' (possibly

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

) kills 60% of the Māori population in the southern North Island. ;1791 * 29 November:

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...

sighted by HMS ''Chatham'' commanded by William Broughton. ;1792 * Group of

sealers Sealer may refer either to a person or ship engaged in seal hunting, or to a sealant; associated terms include: Seal hunting * Sealer Hill, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica * Sealers' Oven, bread oven of mud and stone built by sealers around 180 ...

from the ''Britannia'' landed in Dusky Sound. ;1793 * Dusky Sound sealers picked up. * A Spanish expedition led by Italian explorer Alessandro Malaspina charts

Doubtful Sound Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Zea ...

* ''La Recherche'' and ''L'Espérance'', captained by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux and Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec sight New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands.

Early 19th century; 1801–1839

;

1806 Events January–March * January 1 ** The French Republican Calendar is abolished. ** The Kingdom of Bavaria is established by Napoleon. * January 5 – The body of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, lies in state in the Painted Hall ...

* First

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

(European) women arrive in New Zealand. ;

1807 Events January–March * January 7 – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland issues an Order in Council prohibiting British ships from trading with France or its allies. * January 20 – The Sierra Leone Company, faced with b ...

1808 Events January–March * January 1 ** The importation of slaves into the United States is banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect; African slaves continue to be imported into Cuba, and until the island ab ...

* Ngapuhi fight Ngāti Whātua, Te-Uri-o-Hau and Te Roroa

at the battle of Moremonui on the west coast of Northland, the first battle in which Maori used muskets. ;

1809 Events January–March * January 5 – The Treaty of the Dardanelles, between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Ottoman Empire, is concluded. * January 10 – Peninsular War – French Marshal Jean ...

* Ngati Uru attack and burn the ship '' Boyd'', killing all but four of its crew and passengers. Whalers wrongly blame

Te Puna Te Puna is a rural community near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on State Highway 2, north of Bethlehem and south of Katikati. The local Te Puna Quarry has been redeveloped by volunteers i ...

chief Te Pahi and in a revenge attack kill 60 of his followers. ;

1814 Events January * January 1 – War of the Sixth Coalition – The Royal Prussian Army led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher crosses the Rhine. * January 3 ** War of the Sixth Coalition – Siege of Cattaro: French garrison s ...

* 22 December: British

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Samuel Marsden, of the (Anglican) Church Missionary Society, arrives at Rangihoua at Oihi Bay in the Bay of Islands to establish the country's first mission station. Sheep, cattle, horses and poultry are introduced. *

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

: Rev Samuel Marsden holds the first

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

service on land, at Rangihoua. ;

1815 Events January * January 2 – Lord Byron marries Anna Isabella Milbanke in Seaham, county of Durham, England. * January 3 – Austria, Britain, and Bourbon-restored France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussi ...

* February: Thomas Holloway King is the first Pākehā child born in New Zealand, at Rangihoua. * ;

1819 Events January–March * January 2 – The Panic of 1819, the first major peacetime financial crisis in the United States, begins. * January 25 – Thomas Jefferson founds the University of Virginia. * January 29 – Si ...

* Raids on

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

and

Te Whanganui-a-tara Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. The term is also used to refer to the city of Wellington which lies on the shores of the harbour. ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'' translates as "the great harbour of Tara", named for Tara, a s ...

regions by Ngapuhi and

Ngati Toa ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

people led by chiefs Patuone, Nene,

Moetara Moetara, later also known as Moetara Motu Tongaporutu (died 23 December 1838), was a tribal leader, agriculturalist and trader of the Ngāti Korokoro subtribe of the Ngāpuhi Māori iwi that lived on the south side of the Hokianga, New Zealand. Wh ...

, Tuwhare, and Te Rauparaha. * 17 August: the country's second mission station is established, at

Kerikeri Kerikeri () is the largest town in Northland, New Zealand. It is a tourist destination north of Auckland and north of the northern region's largest city, Whangarei. It is sometimes called the Cradle of the Nation, as it was the site of th ...

, when Rev Marsden, John Butler, Francis Hall and William Hall mark out the site which was previously visited by Marsden in 1815. * 25 September: Rev Marsden plants 100 vines, the first grapes grown in New Zealand. * 4 November: Chiefs Hongi Hika and

Rewa Rewa may refer to: Places Fiji * Rewa (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji), a former electoral division of Fiji * Rewa Plateau, between the Kaimur and Vindhya Ranges in Madhya Pradesh * Rewa Province, Fiji * Rewa River, the widest river in Fiji ...

sell 13,000 acres (5260 hectares) at Kerikeri to the Church Missionary Society for 48 felling axes. ;

1820 Events January–March *January 1 – Nominal beginning of the Trienio Liberal in Spain: A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament (March 7). *January 8 – General Maritime T ...

* 3 May: At

, Reverend John Butler uses a plough for the first time in the country. * Hongi Hika visits England, meets

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

and secures supply of

musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

s. ;

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 28 – Alexander Island, the largest in Antarctica, is first discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Be ...

* Continuation of musket wars by Hongi Hika and Te Morenga on southern iwi throughout the decade. ;

1822 Events January–March * January 1 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. *January 3 - The famous French explorer, Aimé Bonpland, is made prisoner in Paraguay accused of being a spy. ...

* Ngati Toa begin migration south to Cook Strait region, led by Te Rauparaha. ;

1823 Events January–March * January 22 – By secret treaty signed at the Congress of Verona, the Quintuple Alliance gives France a mandate to invade Spain for the purpose of restoring Ferdinand VII (who has been captured by armed revolutio ...

* Jurisdiction of

courts is extended to British citizens in New Zealand. * First

Wesleyan Missionary Society Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminianism, Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a Christian theology, theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the Christian ministry, ministry of the 18th-century eva ...

mission established, at Whangaroa. * First

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

marriage, between

Phillip Tapsell Phillip Tapsell, born Hans Homan Jensen Falk (1777/1791? – 6 or 7 August 1873) was a Danish mariner, whaler, and trader who settled in New Zealand. Tapsell first arrived in New Zealand at the Bay of Islands on the ''New Zealander'' on 26 March 1 ...

and Maria Ringa, conducted by Thomas Kendall in the Bay of Islands. ;

1824 May 7: The almost completely deaf Beethoven premieres his Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven) , Ninth Symphony Events January–March * January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of the Royal Society, ...

* Te Heke Niho-puta migration of Taranaki iwi to the Kapiti Coast. ;

1825 Events January–March * January 4 – King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies in Naples and is succeeded by his son, Francis. * February 3 – Vendsyssel-Thy, once part of the Jutland peninsula forming westernmost Denmark, becomes a ...

* The battle of Te Ika-a-ranganui between Ngapuhi and hapu against Ngatiwhatua, resident occupiers of the land fought upon. ;

1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...

* Te Rauparaha's invasion of the

from Kapiti begins. ;

1831 Events January–March * January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. * January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto establ ...

* Whaling stations established at

Tory Channel Tory Channel / Kura Te Au is one of the drowned valleys that form the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. Inter-island ferries normally use it as the principal channel between Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds. Tory Channel / Kura Te Au lies ...

and

Preservation Inlet Rakituma / Preservation Inlet is the southernmost fiord in Fiordland National Park and lies on the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. With an area of , it is the fourth largest fiord in New Zealand, after Tamatea / Dusky Sound, ...

. ;

1832 Events January–March * January 6 – Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison founds the New-England Anti-Slavery Society. * January 13 – The Christmas Rebellion of slaves is brought to an end in Jamaica, after the island's white plan ...

* 19 April: stonemason William Parrott begins work on the missionaries'

Stone Store The Stone Store at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands is New Zealand’s oldest surviving stone building. Part of the second Church Missionary Society station in New Zealand, the store was designed by John Hobbs to replace an earlier wooden store ...

at Kerikeri. * James Busby appointed British Resident. ;

1833 Events January–March * January 3 – Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833), Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. * February 6 – His Royal Highness Prince Otto ...

* May: James Busby arrives at the Bay of Islands. ;

1834 Events January–March * January – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is chartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January 3 � ...

* March:

United Tribes of New Zealand The United Tribes of New Zealand ( mi, Te W(h)akaminenga o Ngā Rangatiratanga o Ngā Hapū o Nū Tīreni, lit=) was a confederation of Māori tribes based in the north of the North Island, existing legally from 1835 to 1840. It received diplo ...

flag adopted by some 25 northern chiefs at Busby's suggestion. ;

1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...

* 22 April: Wesleyan missionaries extend south beyond their main base at Hokianga to the Waikato Coast, among them

James and Mary Wallis James and Mary Wallis were Wesleyan missionaries and the first European Settlers in Raglan, New Zealand. Early years and journey to New Zealand Born on 18 April 1809 in Blackwall, London, James Wallis felt the call to ministry at a young age ...

. * October: ''

Declaration of Independence of New Zealand The Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand ( mi, He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni), signed by a number of Māori people, Māori chiefs in 1835, proclaimed the Sovereignty, sovereign independence of New Zealand prior to th ...

'' by the "Confederation of United Tribes" signed by 34 northern chiefs (and later by another 18). * 19 November: The brig ''Lord Raglan'' carrying 500 Māori from

Ngati Tama ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

and

Ngati Mutunga ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea (director), John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first ...

armed with guns, clubs and axes, arrives on the

. It is followed by another ship with 400 more Māori on 5 December. Those Moriori that are not killed are enslaved. ;

1837 Events January–March * January 1 – The destructive Galilee earthquake causes 6,000–7,000 casualties in Ottoman Syria. * January 26 – Michigan becomes the 26th state admitted to the United States. * February – Charles Dickens's ...

* Captain William Hobson sent by New South Wales Governor to report on New Zealand. He suggested a treaty with the Māori and imposition of British Law. * New Zealand Association formed in London, becoming the New Zealand Colonisation Society in 1838 and the New Zealand Company in 1839, under the inspiration of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. ;

1838 Events January–March * January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London. * January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration o ...

Bishop Pompallier Jean-Baptiste François Pompallier (11 December 1801 – 21 December 1871) was the first Roman Catholic bishop in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two m ...

founds

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Mission at Hokianga. ;

1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – T ...

* William Hobson instructed to establish British rule in New Zealand, as a dependency of New South Wales. * Colonel William Wakefield of the New Zealand Company arrives on the ''

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

'' to purchase land for a settlement.

Colony and self-government (1840 to 1946)

1840s

;

1840 Events January–March * January 3 – One of the predecessor papers of the ''Herald Sun'' of Melbourne, Australia, ''The Port Phillip Herald'', is founded. * January 10 – Uniform Penny Post is introduced in the United Kingdom. * Janua ...

* 22 January: New Zealand Company settlers arrive aboard the '' Aurora'' at

Te Whanganui a Tara Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. The term is also used to refer to the city of Wellington which lies on the shores of the harbour. ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'' translates as "the great harbour of Tara", named for Tara, a ...

which becomes

Port Nicholson A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

, site of

. * 29 January: William Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands and reads out the proclamation of sovereignty. * 6 February: Hone Heke is the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi at Bay of Islands. * 21 May: Hobson proclaims British sovereignty over New Zealand. The North Island by treaty and the South Island by discovery. * May: First capital established at Okiato, which was renamed Russell. * St Peter's School, the first Catholic school in New Zealand, opened in

Kororareka Russell, known as Kororāreka in the early 19th century, was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island. History and culture Māori settle ...

. * 18 August: French colony established in

Akaroa Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled in standard ...

. * Hobson becomes first governor and sets up executive and legislative councils. *

Rawiri Taiwhanga Rawiri Taiwhanga (fl. 1818–1874) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, farmer, Anglican missionary and teacher; of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāpuhi iwi. He was the father of Sydney Taiwhanga. Before his baptism he was know ...

in Bay of Islands is running the first

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

farm in New Zealand, near Kaikohe. ;

1841 Events January–March * January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom, and Qishan of the Qing dynasty, agree to the Convention of Chuenpi. * January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the i ...

* European settlements established at

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

and

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

. * February: Capital shifted from Russell ( Okiato) to

. * 3 May: New Zealand proclaimed a colony independent of

. * 27 September 1841: Foundation of a Catholic school for boys, Auckland's first school of any sort. ;

1842 Events January–March * January ** Michael Alexander takes office, as the first appointee to the Anglican-German Bishopric in Jerusalem. ** American medical student William E. Clarke of Berkshire Medical College becomes the first pe ...

* Main body of settlers arrive at Nelson. * 10 September: Governor Hobson dies in Auckland. ;

1843 Events January–March * January ** Serial publication of Charles Dickens's novel ''Martin Chuzzlewit'' begins in London; in the July chapters, he lands his hero in the United States. ** Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" ...

* Twenty-two European settlers and four Māori killed in the Wairau Affray at

Tuamarina Tuamarina (often spelled Tua Marina) is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand. State Highway 1 runs through the area. The Tuamarina River joins the Wairau River just south of the settlement. Picton is about 18 km to the north, and Ble ...

, near the Wairau River, in

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

, marking the start of the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...

. * Robert FitzRoy succeeds Hobson as governor. ;

1844 In the Philippines, it was the only leap year with 365 days, as December 31 was skipped when 1845 began after December 30. Events January–March * January 15 – The University of Notre Dame, based in the city of the same name, receives ...

* Hone Heke begins the Flagstaff War. * New Zealand Company suspends its colonising operations due to financial difficulties. ;

1845 Events January–March * January 10 – Elizabeth Barrett receives a love letter from the younger poet Robert Browning; on May 20, they meet for the first time in London. She begins writing her ''Sonnets from the Portuguese''. * January 23 ...

George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...

becomes governor. ;

1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway' ...

* Flagstaff War with the capture of

Ruapekapeka Ruapekapeka, a pā southeast of Kawakawa in the Northland Region of New Zealand, is one of the largest and most complex pā in New Zealand; Ngāpuhi designed it specifically to counter the cannon of British forces. The earthworks can still b ...

. * First Constitution Act passed. * Charles Heaphy, William Fox, and

Thomas Brunner Thomas Brunner (April 1821 – 22 April 1874) was an English-born surveyor and explorer remembered for his exploration of the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Brunner was born in April 1821 in Oxford. When he was fifteen, he began t ...

begin exploring the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

. * First steam vessel, HMS ''Driver'', arrives in New Zealand waters. ;

1848 1848 is historically famous for the wave of revolutions, a series of widespread struggles for more liberal governments, which broke out from Brazil to Hungary; although most failed in their immediate aims, they significantly altered the polit ...

* Settlement of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

founded by Scottish

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

Association. * New Ulster Province and New Munster Province set up under 1846 Act. *

Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

discovered at

Brunner Brunner may refer to: Places * Brunner, New Zealand * Lake Brunner, New Zealand * Brunner Mine, New Zealand * Brunner, Houston, United States * Brunner (crater), lunar crater Other uses * Brunner (surname) * Brunner the Bounty Hunter, a character ...

on the West Coast. * Earthquake centred in Marlborough damages most

buildings.

1850s

;

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

settlement founded. ;

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

* Second New Zealand Constitution Act passed creating General Assembly and six provinces with representative government. ;

1853 Events January–March * January 6 – Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida. * January 8 – Taiping Reb ...

* Idea of a

Māori King Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

canvassed by

Tāmihana Te Rauparaha Tāmihana (born Katu) Te Rauparaha (1820s – October 1876) was a notable New Zealand Māori leader, Christian evangelist, assessor, writer and farmer. He was born in Pukearuhe, Taranaki, New Zealand, the son of the great Ngāti Toa leader ...

and

Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi Hēnare Mātene Te Whiwhi (?–1881) was a notable New Zealand tribal leader, missionary and assessor. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Toa iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori societ ...

. * About 100 Māori – mostly chiefs – enrolled to vote in the forthcoming election. * 4 July–1 October:

1853 New Zealand general election The 1853 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 1st term. It was the first national election ever held in New Zealand, although Parliament did not yet have full authority to gover ...

;

1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Teut ...

* First session of the General Assembly opens in Auckland. ;

1855 Events January–March * January 1 – Ottawa, Ontario, is incorporated as a city. * January 5 – Ramón Castilla begins his third term as President of Peru. * January 23 ** The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens ...

* Governor

Thomas Gore Browne Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne, (3 July 1807 – 17 April 1887) was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda. Early life Browne was born on ...

, appointed in 1854, arrives. * A severe magnitude 8.1

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

strikes Wairarapa. Noted for having the largest movement of a strike-slip earthquake in history, at 17 meters. * Adhesive postage stamps on sale. * 28 October–28 December:

1855 New Zealand general election The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 2nd term. It was the second national election ever held in New Zealand, and the first one which elected a Parliament that had full ...

. ;

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

Henry Sewell Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office th ...

forms first ministry under

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

and becomes first

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

. * Edward Stafford forms first stable ministry. ;

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

*Foundation of Auckland's first Catholic boys' secondary school, St Peter's School. ;

1858 Events January–March * January – **Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. **William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...

* New Provinces Act passed. * Te Wherowhero installed as first

, taking name Pōtatau I. ;

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

* First session of Hawke's Bay and Marlborough provincial councils. *

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

discovered in

Buller River The Buller River ( mi, Kawatiri) is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport. Within the Bulle ...

. *

New Zealand Insurance Company NZI or New Zealand Insurance is a major insurance company in New Zealand. NZI was formed in Auckland by 1859 as the New Zealand Insurance Company and is one of New Zealand's largest and longest-serving fire and general insurance brands. In a ...

established.

1860s

;

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

* Waitara dispute develops into

First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori people, Māori and the New Zealand government in the Taranaki district of New Zealand's North ...

. * The Māori King

Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori warrior, leader of the Waikato iwi (confederation of tribes), the first Māori King and founder of the Te Wherowhero royal dynasty. He was first known just as ''Te Wherowhero'' and took the ...

dies and is succeeded by his son Tāwhiao. * 12 December – 28 March:

1860–1861 New Zealand general election The 1860–1861 New Zealand general election was held between 12 December 1860 and 28 March 1861 to elect 53 MPs to the third session of the New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legi ...

. ;

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

becomes governor for the second time. * May,

Gabriel Read Thomas Gabriel Read (21 August 182531 October 1894) was a gold prospector and farmer. His discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully triggered the first major gold rush in New Zealand. Life Read was born on 21 August 1825 in Tasmania, Australia. Th ...

discovers gold in

Gabriel's Gully Gabriel's Gully is a locality in Otago, New Zealand, three kilometres from Lawrence township and close to the Tuapeka River. It was the site of New Zealand's first major gold rush. The discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully by Gabriel Read on 25 ...

near

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

. Central Otago Gold Rush begins. * First session of Southland provincial council. *

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...

incorporated at Auckland. ;

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

* The country's first electric telegraph line opens, between Christchurch and Lyttelton. * First gold shipment from Dunedin to London. ;

1863 Events January–March * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states an official war goal. It proclaims t ...

* War resumes in

and begins in Waikato when General Cameron crosses the Mangatawhiri stream. * New Zealand Settlements Act passed to effect land-confiscation. * First steam railway in New Zealand, the Ferrymead Railway opened. * 7 February: sinks in Manukau Harbour, killing 189 people. * 23 February: 7.5 earthquake causes moderate damage across central New Zealand. ;

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

* War in the Waikato ends with battle of Orakau. * Gold discovered in Marlborough and Westland. * Arthur, George, and

Edward Dobson Edward Dobson (1816/17? – 19 September 1908) was Provincial Engineer for Canterbury Province, New Zealand from 1854 to 1868. Early life Edward Dobson was born in London, probably in 1816 or 1817. His parents were John Dobson, a merchant, and E ...

are the first Pākehā to cross what becomes known as Arthur's Pass. ;

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

* Capital and seat of government transferred from Auckland to Wellington *

New Zealand Exhibition The New Zealand Exhibition held in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1865 was a world's fair visited by 31250 people. It was the first world's fair held in New Zealand. It opened on 12 January and ran until 6 May 1865. Organisation Following the Bazaar ...

held in Dunedin * Native Land Court established. * Government launches the first of what would become 3,000,000 acres of land-confiscations from Māori in Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, and Hawke's Bay. * Māori resistance continues. * Auckland streets lit by gas for first time. ;

1866 Events January–March * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman tr ...

* First (unreliable) Cook Strait submarine telegraph cable laid. * Christchurch to Hokitika road opens. * Cobb and Co. coaches run from Canterbury to the West Coast. * The Presbytery of Otago separates into three presbyteries and becomes the

Synod of Otago and Southland The Synod of Otago and Southland is a synod of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ). Originally independent, the Synod merged with the northern Presbyterian church in 1901 to form the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...

. * January–February: Trevor Chute leads raids against Maro in Taranaki * 12 February–6 April:

1866 New Zealand general election The 1866 New Zealand general election was held between 12 February and 6 April to elect 70 MPs to the fourth term of the New Zealand Parliament. In 1867 four Māori electorates were created, initially as a temporary measure for five years. The ...

. ;

1867 Events January–March * January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

goldfield opens; soon the town has more people than

. * Four Māori electorates established in Parliament. All Māori men over 21 obtained

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

(allowed to stand for parliament and vote). * Lyttelton railway tunnel completed. * Armed constabulary established. ;

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

* Māori resistance continues through campaigns of Te Kooti Arikirangi and Titokowaru. * New Zealand's first sheep breed, the

Corriedale The Corriedale is a New Zealand breed of sheep. It was bred from about 1882 in the South Island by James Little, who cross-bred Merino and Lincoln Longwool sheep. The breed was officially recognised in 1911. It has been exported to Australi ...

, is developed. ;1869 in New Zealand, 1869 * Thomas Burns (minister, born 1796), Thomas Burns founds New Zealand's first university, the University of Otago, in Dunedin. * Visit of Prince Alfred – the first Royal Tour.

1870s

;1870 in New Zealand, 1870 * The last imperial forces leave New Zealand. * Julius Vogel's public works and immigration policy begins, along with Rail transport in New Zealand, national railway construction programme; over 1,000 miles constructed by 1879. * University of New Zealand created by the New Zealand University Act, establishing a federal university based on the University of London, which lasts until 1961. * First rugby match. * Auckland to San Francisco mail service begins. ;1871 in New Zealand, 1871 * Deer freed in Otago. * 14 January–23 February: 1871 New Zealand general election. ;1872 in New Zealand, 1872 * Te Kooti retreats to the King Country and Māori armed resistance ceases. * Telegraph communication links Auckland, Wellington and southern provinces. ;1873 in New Zealand, 1873 * New Zealand Shipping Company established. ;1874 in New Zealand, 1874 * First New Zealand steam engine built at Invercargill. ;1875 in New Zealand, 1875 * 20 December – 29 January: 1875–1876 New Zealand general election. ;1876 in New Zealand, 1876 * Abolition of the provinces and establishment of local government by counties and boroughs. * New Zealand-Australia telegraph cable established. ;1877 in New Zealand, 1877 * Education Act passed, establishing national system of primary education, "free, secular, and compulsory". ;1878 in New Zealand, 1878 * Completion of Main South Line railway linking Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. ;1879 in New Zealand, 1879 * Triennial Parliaments Act passed. Manhood suffrage is extended to non-Māori when the vote is given to every male aged 21 and over. * Kaitangata, New Zealand, Kaitangata mine explosion, 34 people die. * Annual property tax introduced. * ''Kangaroo'' lays the first reliable telegraph cable across Cook Strait. * 28 August–15 September: 1879 New Zealand general election all men enfranchised.

1880s

;1881 in New Zealand, 1881 * Parihaka community forcibly broken up by troops. Te Whiti o Rongomai, Te Whiti, Tohu Kākahi and followers arrested and imprisoned. * Wreck of SS ''Tararua'', 131 people die. * Auckland and Christchurch telephone exchanges open. * The Māori King Movement under Tāwhiao makes peace with the Auckland settler government. * 9 December: 1881 New Zealand general election. ;1882 in New Zealand, 1882 * First shipment of frozen meat leaves Port Chalmers for England on the ''Dunedin''. * "State" visit of King Tawhiao to Auckland – civic reception, banquet & fireworks display. ;1883 in New Zealand, 1883 * Te Kooti pardoned, Te Whiti and other prisoners released. * Direct steamer link established between New Zealand and Britain. ;1884 in New Zealand, 1884 * King Tawhiao visits England with petition to the Queen, appealing to the Treaty of Waitangi, and is refused access. * First overseas tour by a New Zealand rugby team, to New South Wales. * Construction of King Country section of North Island main trunk railway begins. * 22 June: 1884 New Zealand general election. * 1 August International Industrial Exhibition opened in Wellington. * 9 September total Eclipse of the Sun observed at Wellington. * November Russian Invasion Scare. ;1885 in New Zealand, 1885 * Mary Greenleaf Clement Leavitt, Mary C. Leavitt, World Missionary for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, toured New Zealand setting up local branches; appointed Anne Ward (suffragist), Anne Ward of

as the first national president to continue recruiting and organizing departments to advocate for women's political and socio-economic rights. ;1886 in New Zealand, 1886 * 23–24 February – First national convention of Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand held in

, launching the organizational strategies for a campaign for women's right to vote in national elections. * 29 March − 10 April – Visit of German warships to Auckland – SMS Gneisenau & SMS Olga. * 11–21 May – Visit of Japanese warship Tsubka to Wellington. * 23 May – 2 June surprise visit of Russian naval Vestnik to Wellington. * 10 June Mount Tarawera erupts and the Pink and White Terraces are destroyed, 153 people die. * Oil is discovered in

. ;1887 in New Zealand, 1887 * New Zealand's first national park, Tongariro National Park, is presented to the nation by Te Heuheu Tukino IV. * First inland parcel post service. * 26 September: 1887 New Zealand general election. ;1888 in New Zealand, 1888 * 12 August: Reefton becomes first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have a public supply of electricity after the commissioning of the Reefton Power Station. ;1889 in New Zealand, 1889 * Abolition of non-residential or property History of voting in New Zealand, qualification to vote. * First New Zealand-built locomotive completed at Addington Workshops.

1890s

;1890 in New Zealand, 1890 * A 1890 Australian maritime dispute, maritime strike in Australia spreads to New Zealand, involving 8000 unionists. * "Sweating" Commission reports on employment conditions. * 5 December: 1890 New Zealand general election, the first election on a one-man-one-vote basis ;1891 in New Zealand, 1891 * John McKenzie (New Zealand politician), John McKenzie introduces the first of a series of measures to promote closer land settlement. * John Ballance becomes Premier of Liberal Government of New Zealand, Liberal Government. ;1892 in New Zealand, 1892 * First Kotahitanga Māori Parliament meets. ;1893 in New Zealand, 1893 * 27 April: John Ballance dies * John Ballance succeeded as premier by Richard Seddon. * 19 September: All women given the right to vote, New Zealand becomes the first country to grant Women's suffrage in New Zealand, universal suffrage and plural voting abolished. * Liquor licensing poll introduced. * Elizabeth Yates (mayor), Elizabeth Yates, Onehunga, becomes the first woman mayor in British Empire. * Banknotes become legal tender. * 28 November: 1893 New Zealand general election. ;1894 in New Zealand, 1894 * Compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes and reform of employment laws. * Advances to Settlers Act. * Clark, Fyfe and Graham become the first people to climb Mt Cook. * Wreck of SS ''Wairarapa''. ;1896 in New Zealand, 1896 * National Council of Women of New Zealand, National Council of Women is founded. * The Brunner Mine disaster kills 67. * Census measures national population as 743,214. * 13 October: First public screening of a Cinema of New Zealand, motion picture in New Zealand * 4 December: 1896 New Zealand general election. ;1897 in New Zealand, 1897 * First of series of colonial and later imperial conferences held in London. * Āpirana Ngata and others form the Te Aute College Students' Association

;1898 in New Zealand, 1898 * Old Age Pensions Act. * First cars imported to New Zealand. ;1899 in New Zealand, 1899 * New Zealand army contingent is sent to the South African war. * First celebration of Labour Day. * 6 December: 1899 New Zealand general election.

1900s

;1900 in New Zealand, 1900 * Māori Councils Act passed. * Public Health Act passed setting up Department of Public Health in 1901. ;1901 in New Zealand, 1901 * Cook Islands, Cook and other Pacific Islands annexed. * Penny postage first used. * Union of the

with the Northern Presbyterian Church to form the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. * Royal Tour – Visit of the Duke & Duchess of York and Cornwall. ;1902 in New Zealand, 1902 * Pacific telegraph cable begins operating between New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. * Wreck of trans-tasman steamer SS Elingamite, SS ''Elingamite''. * 25 November: 1902 New Zealand general election. ;1903 in New Zealand, 1903 * 31 March: Richard Pearse achieves semi-controlled flight near Timaru. * 15 August: The New Zealand All Blacks play their first Rugby test match (rugby union), Test Match against Australia's Australia national rugby union team, Wallabies at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. New Zealand win, 22–3. ;1904 in New Zealand, 1904 ;1905 in New Zealand, 1905 * New Zealand rugby team tours England and becomes known as the All Blacks. * Old Age Pension increases to £26 per year; however, eligibility tightened. * 6 December: 1905 New Zealand general election. ;1906 in New Zealand, 1906 * 10 June: Richard Seddon dies and is succeeded by Joseph Ward as premier. ;1907 in New Zealand, 1907 * July: Resolution passed to constitute New Zealand as a Dominion. * Fire destroys Parliament buildings. * Tohunga Suppression Act passed * 26 September: Dominion of New Zealand declared. ;1908 in New Zealand, 1908 * Auckland to Wellington North Island Main Trunk, main trunk railway line opens. * First New Zealanders compete at the Olympics as part of Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics, Australasian team. * Harry Kerr (racewalker), Harry Kerr is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic medal (a bronze in the Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 3500 metre walk, Men's 3500 metre walk). * Blackball, New Zealand, Blackball coal miner strike lasts 11 weeks. * Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, Ernest Rutherford is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. * New Zealand's population reaches one million. * 17 November, 24 November and 1 December: 1908 New Zealand general election. ;1909 in New Zealand, 1909 * "Red" Federation of Labour formed. * SS ''Penguin'' wrecked in Cook Strait, 75 people die. * Compulsory military training introduced. * Stamp–vending machine invented and manufactured in New Zealand.

1910s

;1910 in New Zealand, 1910 * Halley's Comet sighted in New Zealand. ;1911 in New Zealand, 1911 * 7 December, 14 December: 1911 New Zealand general election. ;1912 in New Zealand, 1912 * William Massey wins vote in the House and becomes prime minister; Reform Government of New Zealand, Reform Government formed. * Waihi miners' strike. * Malcolm Champion becomes first New Zealander to win an Olympic gold medal. ;1913 in New Zealand, 1913 * Waterfront strikes in Auckland and Wellington. ;1914 in New Zealand, 1914 * World War I begins and German Samoa is occupied. * New Zealand Expeditionary Force is despatched to Egypt. * Huntly, New Zealand, Huntly coal mine disaster, 43 people die. * 15 August: Troops depart for Samoa. * 29 August: New Zealand troops land unopposed in Apia. * October: 8427 troops leave New Zealand for Europe. * 10 December: 1914 New Zealand general election. ;1915 in New Zealand, 1915 * New Zealand forces take part in Gallipoli campaign. * Reform and Liberal parties form National War Cabinet. * Britain announces its intention to purchase all New Zealand meat exports during war. * 25 April: First landings at Landing at Anzac Cove, Gaba Tepe and Landing at Cape Helles, Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula. * 27 April: Counterattack launched by Turkish forces under the command of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. * 20 December: Final withdraw of all troops from Anzac Cove. ;1916 in New Zealand, 1916 * New Zealand troops transfer from Western Front. * Conscription introduced. * New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party formed. * Lake Coleridge electricity supply scheme opened. * 10 June: Passing of the Military Services Bill introduces conscription. * July: Battle of Romani defaults Turkish force advancing towards the Suez Canal. ;1917 in New Zealand, 1917 * Battle of Passchendaele, 3,700 New Zealanders killed. * Six o'clock public house closing introduced. * Lord Liverpool becomes first governor-general. ;1918 in New Zealand, 1918 * New Zealand Division in the Battle of the Somme. * End of World War I. * Spanish flu, Influenza pandemic in which an estimated 8,500 die. * Creation of power boards for electricity distribution. * Prohibition petition with 242,001 signatures presented to Parliament. ;1919 in New Zealand, 1919 * Women eligible for election to Parliament. * Massey signs Treaty of Versailles. * First official airmail flight from Auckland to Dargaville. * 17 December: 1919 New Zealand general election.

1920s

;1920 in New Zealand, 1920 * Anzac Day established. * New Zealand gets League of Nations mandate to govern Western Samoa. * First aeroplane flight across Cook Strait. * New Zealand sends first team to Olympic Games (previously they have competed as part of Australasian team). * Darcy Hadfield wins first Olympic medal for New Zealand. ;1921 in New Zealand, 1921 * New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy established. ;1922 in New Zealand, 1922 * New Zealand Meat Producers Board constituted under Act of Parliament and placed in control of meat exports. * 7 December: 1922 New Zealand general election. ;1923 in New Zealand, 1923 * New Zealand Dairy Board constituted under Act of Parliament and placed in control of Dairy exports *Otira Tunnel, Otira tunnel opens; Midland Line, New Zealand, Midland Line between Christchurch and Greymouth completed *Ross Dependency proclaimed. ;1924 in New Zealand, 1924 * All Black 'Invincibles' tour of Britain and France. ;1925 in New Zealand, 1925 * 4 November: 1925 New Zealand general election, General election won by the Reform party under Gordon Coates. ;1926 in New Zealand, 1926 * National public broadcasting begins under auspices of Radio Broadcasting Co. Ltd. ;1927 in New Zealand, 1927 ;1928 in New Zealand, 1928 * New Zealand Summer Time introduced. * Charles Kingsford Smith completes first flight across

. * 14 December: 1928 New Zealand general election, General election won by new New Zealand Liberal Party, United Party. * Ted Morgan (boxer), Ted Morgan wins first Olympic gold medal for New Zealand. ;1929 in New Zealand, 1929 * Economic depression worsens. * 1929 The Murchison earthquake, Severe earthquake in the Murchison, New Zealand, Murchison – Karamea district results in 17 deaths. * First health stamps issued.

1930s

;1930 in New Zealand, 1930 * Unemployment Board set up to provide relief work. ;1931 in New Zealand, 1931 * 3 February: A magnitude 7.8 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, earthquake in Hawke's Bay kills 256 people. * Substantial percentage reductions in public service wages and salaries, to help rebuild Hawke's Bay Region, Hawke's Bay. * Airmail postage stamps introduced. * 2 December: 1931 New Zealand general election, General election won by newly formed Coalition Government under George Forbes (New Zealand politician), George Forbes. ;1932 in New Zealand, 1932 * Compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes abolished. * Unemployed riots in Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch. * Reductions in old-age and other pensions. * Distinctive New Zealand coins first issued, see New Zealand pound. ;1933 in New Zealand, 1933 * 9 September: Elizabeth McCombs becomes first woman MP. ;1934 in New Zealand, 1934 * Reserve Bank and Mortgage Corporation established. * First trans-Tasman airmail. ;1935 in New Zealand, 1935 * Air services begin across Cook Strait. * 24 November: New Zealand Post Office jams 1ZB radio broadcast by Colin Scrimgeour (Uncle Scrim). * 27 November: 1935 New Zealand general election, General election: First Labour Government of New Zealand, First Labour Government elected under Michael Joseph Savage. ;1936 in New Zealand, 1936 * Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Reserve Bank taken over by state. * State housing programme launched. * Guaranteed prices for dairy products introduced. * New Zealand National Party, National Party formed from former Coalition MPs. * Inter-island trunk air services introduced. * Jack Lovelock wins Olympic gold and sets world record for 1500m. * Jean Batten's record flight from England. * Working week reduced from 44 to 40 hours. ;1937 in New Zealand, 1937 * April: Federation of Labour unifies trade union movement. * RNZAF set up as separate branch of armed forces. * March: Free Milk in schools introduced. ;1938 in New Zealand, 1938 * Social Security Act establishes revised pensions structure and the basis of a national health service. * Import and exchange controls are introduced. * 15 October: 1938 New Zealand general election, General election, Labour re-elected. ;1939 in New Zealand, 1939 * Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force formed. * Bulk purchases of farm products by Great Britain. * 3 September: War declared on Germany * 12 September: Enlistment in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force begins. * 4 October: Government announces the formation of a Māori Battalion for 2NZEF * 23 November: Bernard Freyberg is appointed commander of 2NZEF * 13 December: takes part in The Battle of the River Plate.

1940 to 1946

;1940 in New Zealand, 1940 * 5 January: First Echelon of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 2NZEF leaves New Zealand for the Middle East. * 12 February: The main body of the First Echelon of the 2NZEF, arrives at Maadi Camp in Egypt. * 27 March: Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage dies * 1 April: Peter Fraser becomes prime minister. * 1 April: Formation of No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron of the Royal Air Force, RAF * 11 June: New Zealand declares war on Italy. * 19 June: ''RMS Niagara'' hits a mine off Bream Head, Northland * 2 August: Home Guard (New Zealand), Home Guard established. * 20 August: German raider ''Orion'' sinks the steamer ''Turakina'' off Cape Egmont. * October: Stanley Graham kills 7 in shooting spree near Hokitika * 25 November: Steamer ''Holmwood'' sunk by German raiders off the

. * 27 November: ''Rangitane'' sunk by German raiders 480 km from East Cape * 8 December: New Zealand steamer ''Komata'' sunk by German raiders off Nauru * Sidney Holland becomes Leader of Opposition. * Conscription for military service. * German mines laid across Hauraki Gulf. ;1941 in New Zealand, 1941 * 20 May – 1 June: New Zealand forces suffer heavy losses in the Battle of Crete. * 8 December: New Zealand declares war on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. * Māori War Effort Organisation set up. * Pharmaceutical and general practitioner medical benefits introduced. ;1942 in New Zealand, 1942 * Economic stabilisation. * Fears of a Japanese Invasion prompts precautions such as air raid drills. Membership of the Home Guard (New Zealand), Home Guard became compulsory for men aged between 35 and 50. The threat is eased after the Battle of the Coral Sea. * New Zealand troops in First Battle of El Alamein, First and Second Battle of El Alamein, Second Battles of El Alamein. * Food rationing introduced. * Mobilisation of women for essential work. * 12 June: First 5 ships of American troops from the 37th US Army Division land in Auckland. * 14 June: First American US Marine Corps, Marines from the 1st Corps Division land in Wellington. ;1943 in New Zealand, 1943 * New Zealand troops take part in invasion of Military history of New Zealand during World War II, Italy. * February: Mutiny by Japanese people, Japanese prisoner of war, prisoners of war at Featherston prisoner of war camp results in 48 Japanese dead, 61 wounded, plus one dead and 11 injured guards. * 3 April: Battle of Manners Street between American and New Zealand servicemen * 20 June: Several Marines drown during landing exercises at Paekakariki * 28 August: Eleanor Roosevelt arrives in New Zealand for visit. * 3 September: Eleanor Roosevelt flies out from Auckland. * 25 September: 1943 New Zealand general election, General election, Labour re-elected. *October: Butter rationing begins. ;1944 in New Zealand, 1944 * Australia-New Zealand Agreement provides for co-operation in the South Pacific. * NZ Troops suffer heavy losses during The Italian Campaign *March: Meat rationing begins, ;1945 in New Zealand, 1945 * New Zealand signs United Nations charter. * Māori Social and Economic Advancement Act passed. * National Airways Corporation (New Zealand), National Airways Corporation founded. *15 December: Main North Line, New Zealand, Main North Line railway completed between Christchurch and Picton. ;1946 in New Zealand, 1946 * Family benefit of £1 per week becomes universal. *

nationalised. * 24 November: 1946 New Zealand general election. * 20 August: Railway disaster in Manawatu Gorge

Full independence (1947 to 1983)

1947 to 1949

;1947 in New Zealand, 1947 * Statute of Westminster 1931, Statute of Westminster adopted with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947, passed by the New Zealand Parliament. * New Zealand Constitution Amendment (Request and Consent) Act 1947 passed, granting Parliament of New Zealand the ability to amend the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. * First public performance by National Orchestra. * Mabel Howard becomes first woman cabinet minister. * Ballantyne's store disaster, Fire in Ballantyne's department store, Christchurch, 41 people die. ;1948 in New Zealand, 1948 * British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 passed. * Protest campaign against exclusion of Māori players from rugby tour of South Africa. * Polio epidemic closes schools. * Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe erupt. * September: Meat rationing ends. ;1949 in New Zealand, 1949 * 1 January: New Zealanders become "British Subjects and New Zealand Citizens" * Referendum agrees to compulsory military training. * New Zealand gets first four navy frigates. * 30 November: 1949 New Zealand general election, General election: National Government elected.

1950s

;1950 in New Zealand, 1950 * Naval and ground forces sent to Korean War. * New Zealand Legislative Council abolished. * New Zealand wool boom, Wool boom. *June: Butter rationing ends. ;1951 in New Zealand, 1951 * Prolonged 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute, waterfront dispute, state of emergency proclaimed. * ANZUS treaty signed between United States, Australia and New Zealand. * Māori Women's Welfare League established. * 27 December: 1951 New Zealand general election ;1952 in New Zealand, 1952 * Population reaches over two million. * 9 September: Rimutaka Tunnel collapses * 23 July: Yvette Williams wins gold medal in Olympics *10 July: ''Broken Barrier'' film released ;1953 in New Zealand, 1953 * First tour by a reigning monarch. * Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first to climb Mount Everest. * Railway Tangiwai disaster, disaster at Tangiwai, 151 people die. ;1954 in New Zealand, 1954 * New Zealand signs South East Asia Collective Defence Treaty. * Gains seat on United Nations Security Council. * 20 September: in midst of moral panic, the Mazengarb Report is presented. * 13 November: 1954 New Zealand general election. * Social Credit gets 10 percent of vote in general election, but no seats in Parliament. ;1955 in New Zealand, 1955 * Tasman Mill, Pulp and paper mill opens at Kawerau. * 3 November: Rimutaka rail tunnel opened. ;1956 in New Zealand, 1956 * New Zealand troops sent to Federation of Malaya, Malaya. * Roxburgh Dam, Roxburgh and Whakamaru power stations in operation. ;1957 in New Zealand, 1957 * 17 February: Last hanging, of Walter James Bolton. * Scott Base established in Ross Dependency. * Court of Appeal constituted. * Dairy products gain 10 years of unrestricted access to Britain. * 30 November: 1957 New Zealand general election, General election, National loses election, Walter Nash leads Second Labour Government of New Zealand, Second Labour Government. ;1958 in New Zealand, 1958 * PAYE tax introduced. * Arnold Nordmeyer's "Black Budget (New Zealand), Black Budget". * First geothermal electricity generated at Wairakei. * First heart-lung machine used at Greenlane Hospital, Auckland. * The first Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built in the Southern Hemisphere is opened at Hamilton New Zealand Temple, Hamilton ;1959 in New Zealand, 1959 * Antarctic Treaty signed with other countries involved in scientific exploration in Antarctica. * Auckland Harbour Bridge opened.

1960s

;1960 in New Zealand, 1960 * Regular television programmes begin in Auckland. * Government Service Equal Pay Act passed. * 26 November: 1960 New Zealand general election, General election, Second National Government of New Zealand, National Government elected. * Treasury leases New Zealand's first computer from IBM. ;1961 in New Zealand, 1961 * New Zealand joins the International Monetary Fund. * Capital punishment in New Zealand, Capital punishment abolished for ordinary crimes such as Murder but Remains for Treason, Espionage and "crimes committed during War

;1962 in New Zealand, 1962 * New Zealand troops sent to Malaysia during Indonesian Confrontation, confrontation with Indonesia. * Western Samoa becomes independent. * Sir Guy Powles becomes first Ombudsman. * New Zealand Māori Council established. * 11 August: Interislander, Cook Strait rail ferry service begins. * Kapuni, Taranaki gas well opens. ;1963 in New Zealand, 1963 * 3 July: New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441 crashes in the Kaimai Ranges; 23 killed. *30 November: 1963 New Zealand general election. ;1964 in New Zealand, 1964 * Marsden Point oil refinery opens at Whangarei. * Auckland's population reaches half a million. *Lyttelton road tunnel, Lyttelton Road Tunnel opens; at nearly 2,000m long, it was the country's longest road tunnel until 2017. ;1965 in New Zealand, 1965 * New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA agreement negotiated with Australia. *Benmore Dam commissioned. *HVDC Inter-Island, Inter-Island HVDC commissioned, connecting the North and South Island power grids. * Support for United States in Vietnam War, Vietnam; New Zealand combat force sent, protest movement begins. * Cook Islands becomes self-governing. *1 April: Tasman Empire Airways Limited, TEAL renamed Air New Zealand. *Air New Zealand introduces the Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft on international routes. ;1966 in New Zealand, 1966 * Auckland Airport, International airport officially opens at Auckland. * New Zealand labour force reaches one million. * National Library of New Zealand created. * Te Atairangi Kaahu becomes first Māori Queen. * 26 November: 1966 New Zealand general election, National wins a third term. ;1967 in New Zealand, 1967 * Referendum extends hotel closing hours to 10pm. * 10 July: Decimal currency introduced; New Zealand dollar replaces the pound at a rate of £1 to $2 (one shilling to 10 cents; one penny to cent) * Lord Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, Arthur Porritt becomes first New Zealand-born Governor-General of New Zealand, Governor-General. *Denny Hulme becomes New Zealand's first (and currently only) List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, Formula 1 World Champion. ;1968 in New Zealand, 1968 * 10 April: Inter-island ferry sinks in severe storm in Wellington Harbour; 51 people killed. * 24 May: Three die in Inangahua Junction, Inangahua earthquake. *National Airways Corporation introduces Boeing 737 jet services on domestic routes. ;1969 in New Zealand, 1969 * Vote extended to 20-year-olds. * First output from Glenbrook, New Zealand, Glenbrook New Zealand Steel, Steel Mill. *Television networked nationwide. *Breath and blood tests introduced for suspected drunk drivers. * 29 November: 1969 New Zealand general election, General election, National wins fourth election in a row.

1970s

;1970 in New Zealand, 1970 * US Vice President Spiro Agnew Visits New Zealand to prop up the NZ Governments support for the Vietnam War and is met by an anti-war protest in Auckland which turns violent. *Natural gas network commissioned, supplying gas from Kapuni to Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Wellington. ;1971 in New Zealand, 1971 * New Zealand secures continued access of butter and cheese to the United Kingdom. * Nga Tamatoa protest at Waitangi celebrations. * Tiwai Point aluminium smelter begins operating. *Manapouri Power Station completed. * Warkworth, New Zealand, Warkworth satellite station begins operation. ;1972 in New Zealand, 1972 *Values Party is formed. * Equal Pay Act passed. * 25 November: 1972 New Zealand general election, General election. New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Government elected; Norman Kirk becomes 29th Prime Minister. * December: New Zealand ends its role in the Vietnam War when Troops are withdrawn under the new Labour Government and Compulsory Military Training is Abolished. ;1973 in New Zealand, 1973 * Naval frigate dispatched in protest against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. * New Zealand's population reaches three million. * Oil price hike means worst terms of trade in 30 years. * Colour TV introduced. ;1974 in New Zealand, 1974 * 1 April: Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) established. *31 August: Prime Minister Norman Kirk dies; Bill Rowling succeeds Kirk as 30th Prime Minister. * Commonwealth Games 1974 British Commonwealth Games, held in Christchurch. ;1975 in New Zealand, 1975 * 4 January: Lynne Cox became the first woman to swim across Cook Strait. * 14 September: Māori land march protesting at land loss leaves Te Hāpua * 13 October: Māori land march reaches Parliament building in Wellington, Whina Cooper presents a ''Memorial of Rights'' to the Prime Minister Bill Rowling and Māori Affairs Minister Matiu Rata. * The Waitangi Tribunal is established. *TVNZ 2, Second TV channel starts broadcasting. * 29 November: 1975 New Zealand general election. Robert Muldoon becomes 31st Prime Minister after National Party victory. * 1975 in New Zealand television ;1976 in New Zealand, 1976 * New Zealand's national day 6 February renamed from New Zealand Day to Waitangi Day * Matrimonial Property Act passed. * Pacific Islands "overstayers" deported. * EEC import quotas for New Zealand butter set until 1980. * Introduction of metric system of weights and measures. * Subscriber toll dialling introduced. *Lyttelton–Wellington steamer ferry service ends. ;1977 in New Zealand, 1977 * National Superannuation scheme begins. * New Zealand signs the Gleneagles Agreement. * The 200 nautical mile (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is established. * 5 January: Bastion Point occupied by protesters. *21 November: ''God Defend New Zealand'' officially adopted as a national anthem (alongside ''God Save the Queen)'' ;1978 in New Zealand, 1978 * Registered unemployed reaches 25,000. *New Zealand Film Commission established. * 12 February: 17 arrested after protestors led by Eva Rickard set up camp on the Raglan, New Zealand, Raglan golf course. *1 April: National Airways Corporation merges with Air New Zealand. * 25 May: Army and Police remove protesters from Bastion Point, 218 arrests are made. * 25 November: 1978 New Zealand general election, General election, National re-elected. ;1979 in New Zealand, 1979 * Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashes on Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 people die. * Carless days introduced to reduce petrol consumption. * 7 November: MP Matiu Rata resigns from the New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party to join Mana Motuhake (political party), Mana Motuhake Party. * Nambassa 3-day music and alternatives festival held in Waihi. Largest event of its kind in New Zealand.

1980s

;1980 in New Zealand, 1980 * Social Credit Party (New Zealand), Social Credit wins East Coast Bays by-election. * Saturday trading partially legalised. * Eighty-day strike at Kinleith Mill. ;1981 in New Zealand, 1981 * 1981 Springbok Tour, South African rugby team's tour brings widespread disruption. * 28 November: 1981 New Zealand general election, National re-elected for third term. ;1982 in New Zealand, 1982 * Closer Economic Relations, CER agreement signed with Australia. * First kōhanga reo established. *First FM broadcasting, FM radio broadcast. * Year-long wage, price and rent freeze imposed lasts until 1984. * First New Zealand Football team to compete at FIFA World Cup Finals ;1983 in New Zealand, 1983 * Visit by nuclear-powered United States Navy frigate "Texas" sparks protests. * Official Information Act 1982, Official Information Act replaces Official Secrecy Act. * New Zealand Party founded.

Restructuring (1984 to date)

1984 to 1989

;1984 in New Zealand, 1984 * Te Hikoi ki Waitangi march and disruption of Waitangi Day celebrations. * Auckland's population exceeds that of the South Island. * 14 July: 1984 New Zealand general election won by Labour under David Lange. * New Zealand constitutional crisis, 1984, Constitutional crisis follows general election; outgoing Prime Minister Robert Muldoon refuses to implement advice of Prime Minister elect David Lange. * Government devalues New Zealand dollar by 20 percent. * 26 July: David Lange becomes New Zealand's 32nd Prime Minister; Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand, Fourth Labour government formed. * Finance Minister Roger Douglas begins deregulating the economy. * New Zealand ratifies the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. ;1985 in New Zealand, 1985 * Anti-nuclear policy leads to refusal of a visit by the American warship, the USS ''Buchanan''. * 10 July: Greenpeace vessel ''Rainbow Warrior (1978), Rainbow Warrior'' sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, bombed and sunk by French DGSE agents in Auckland harbour. * 4 March: New Zealand dollar floated. * First case of locally contracted AIDS is reported. * Waitangi Tribunal given power to hear grievances arising since 1840. * 20 November: Archbishop Paul Reeves appointed Governor General. ;1986 in New Zealand, 1986 * Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 passed. * Royal Commission on the Electoral System, Royal Commission reports in favour of an MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) electoral system. * Jim Bolger becomes National Party leader. * Soviet cruise ship, the ''Mikhail Lermontov (ship), Mikhail Lermontov'', sinks in Marlborough Sounds. * Goods and Services Tax (New Zealand), Goods and Services Tax introduced. * First visit to New Zealand by the Pope. * The Constitution Act 1986, Constitution Act ends the right of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, British Parliament to pass laws for New Zealand. * Royal Commission into Broadcasting and Related Communications reports ;1987 in New Zealand, 1987 * Share prices plummet by 59 percent in four months. * Māori Language Act making Māori an official language passed. * Anti-nuclear legislation enacted. * First New Zealand Lotteries Commission, Lotto draw. * New Zealand's first heart transplant is performed. * New Zealand wins Rugby World Cup. * Significant earthquake in the Bay of Plenty. * 15 August: 1987 New Zealand general election, General election, Labour re-elected. ;1988 in New Zealand, 1988 * Number of unemployed exceeds 100,000. * Bastion Point land returned to Māori ownership. * Combined Council of Trade Unions formed. Royal Commission on Social Policy issues April Report. * Gibbs Report on hospital services and Picot Report on education published. * State Sector Act passed. * Cyclone Bola strikes northern North Island. * Electrification of the central section of the North Island Main Trunk railway completed. * New Zealand Post closes 432 post offices. * Fisheries quota package announced for Māori iwi. ;1989 in New Zealand, 1989 * Prime Minister David Lange suggests formal withdrawal from ANZUS. * Jim Anderton founds NewLabour Party (New Zealand), NewLabour Party. * Lange resigns and Geoffrey Palmer (politician), Geoffrey Palmer becomes 33rd Prime Minister. * First annual balance of payments surplus since 1973. * Reserve Bank Act sets bank's role as one of maintaining price stability. * First school board elections under Tomorrow's Schools reforms. * First elections under revised local government structure. * Sunday trading begins. * The final Remnants of capital punishment are abolished *26 November: Three (TV channel), Third TV channel begins. * Māori Fisheries Act passed.

1990s

;1990 in New Zealand, 1990 * New Zealand celebrates its sesquicentennial. * Māori leaders inaugurate National Congress of Tribes. * Dame Catherine Tizard becomes first woman Governor-General. * Geoffrey Palmer (politician), Geoffrey Palmer resigns as prime minister; Mike Moore (New Zealand politician), Mike Moore succeeds him as the 34th Prime Minister. * 30 April: One- and two-cent coins are phased out. * Commonwealth Games 1990 Commonwealth Games, held in Auckland. * Telecom New Zealand, Telecom sold for $4.25 billion. * Pay Television Network SKY Network Television, Sky TV began broadcasting. * Big earthquake in Hawke's Bay. * 27 October: 1990 New Zealand general election: National Party has landslide victory. Jim Bolger becomes 35th Prime Minister. * 13–14 November: David Gray Aramoana massacre, kills thirteen at Aramoana, before police shoot him dead. ;1991 in New Zealand, 1991 * The Resource Management Act 1991 is enacted, rewriting planning law. *One- and two-dollar coins introduced to replace their respective banknotes. * The "Mother of all Budgets, Mother of All Budgets" is presented by Finance Minister Ruth Richardson. * The Alliance (New Zealand political party), Alliance party is formed. * Employment Contracts Act passed. * Consumers Price Index has lowest quarterly increase for 25 years. * Welfare payments cut. * Number of unemployed exceeds 200,000 for the first time. * New Zealand troops join multi-national force in the Gulf War. * An avalanche on Aoraki / Mount Cook reduces its height by 10.5 metres. ;1992 in New Zealand, 1992 * Government and Māori interests negotiate Sealord fisheries deal. * Public health system reforms. * State housing commercialised. * New Zealand gets seat on United Nations Security Council. * Student Loan system is started / Tertiary Fees raised ;1993 in New Zealand, 1993 * Centennial of women's suffrage celebrated. * New Zealand First launched by Winston Peters. * 6 November: 1993 New Zealand general election, General election won by National, without obtaining a majority. * Referendum favours Mixed-member proportional representation, MMP electoral system. * Opposition MP Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician), Peter Tapsell becomes Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, thus giving the government a majority. ;1994 in New Zealand, 1994 * Government commits 250 soldiers to front-line duty in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia. * Government proposes $1 billion cap in plan for final settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims. * New Zealand's first casino opens in Christchurch. *David Bain is convicted of murdering five members of his family. * First fast-ferry service begins operation across Cook Strait. ;1995 in New Zealand, 1995 * Team New Zealand wins America's Cup. * Occupation of Moutoa Gardens,

. * Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlement Act passed. * New political parties form: the New Zealand Conservative Party, Conservatives, Christian Heritage New Zealand, Christian Heritage and United New Zealand. * Renewal of French nuclear tests results in New Zealand protest flotilla and navy ship "Tui" sailing for Moruroa Atoll. * Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland, Nelson Mandela visits. * New Zealand contingent returns from Bosnia. ;1996 in New Zealand, 1996 * Imported pests Mediterranean fruit flies and white-spotted tussock moths cause disruption to export trade and to Aucklanders. * Kahurangi National Park, the 13th National parks of New Zealand, National Park, is opened in north-west Nelson. * Waitangi Tribunal recommends generous settlement of Taranaki land claims. * First legal sports betting at TAB. * The commercial radio stations and networks owned by Radio New Zealand are sold to Clear Channel Communications, Clear Channel creating The Radio Network. * $170 million Ngāi Tahu settlement proposed, $40 million Whakatohea settlement announced. * 12 October: 1996 New Zealand general election, First MMP election brings National/New Zealand First coalition government. ;1997 in New Zealand, 1997 * America's Cup damaged in an attack by a Māori activist. * TV4 begins daily broadcasts. * Customs Service cracks down on imported Japanese used cars following claims of odometer fraud. * Auckland's Sky Tower (Auckland), Sky Tower is opened. * Compulsory superannuation is rejected by a margin of more than nine to one in New Zealand's first postal referendum. * Jim Bolger resigns as prime minister after losing the support of the National Party caucus and is replaced by New Zealand's first woman prime minister, Jenny Shipley. ;1998 in New Zealand, 1998 * Auckland city businesses hit by a 1998 Auckland power crisis, power cut lasting several weeks. The crisis of over a month results in an inquiry into Mercury Energy. * The women's rugby team, the Black Ferns, become the world champions. * The National – New Zealand First coalition Government is dissolved leaving the Jenny Shipley led National Party as a minority government. * Several cases of tuberculosis discovered in South Auckland in the worst outbreak for a decade. * The Hikoi of Hope marches to Parliament, calling for more support for the poor. * The government announces plans to lease 28 new fighter aircraft but says no to a new naval frigate. * Prime TV launched ;1999 in New Zealand, 1999 * APEC is held in Auckland * Alcohol purchase age for off-licenses reduced from 20 to 18 years of age * 27 November: 1999 New Zealand general election. Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, Fifth Labour Government is sworn in.

2000s

;2000 in New Zealand, 2000 * January: The name suppression of American billionaire Peter Lewis (businessman), Peter Lewis, who was arrested and convicted of drug possession charges, causes controversy. * Knighthoods are Abolished ;2001 in New Zealand, 2001 * Interest accrual is removed from student loans while studying. Students who accrued interest prior to 2001 are still required to pay. * Air New Zealand bailout, government purchases a 76.5% share in the company * New Zealand contributes Troops to Operation Enduring Freedom against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan ;2002 in New Zealand, 2002 * Kiwibank is formed * 30 June: The population of

reaches half a million. * 27 July: 2002 New Zealand general election, 2002 general election, Labour-led government returned for a second term. ;2003 in New Zealand, 2003 * Population of New Zealand exceeds 4 million. * Prostitution Reform Act 2003 passed in parliament * Appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council abolished; Supreme Court of New Zealand established, and begins work in early 2004. ;2004 in New Zealand, 2004 * New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy, Foreshore and Seabed Act passed. * Civil Union Act passed * Māori Party formed. *Māori Television Tahi, Maori TV begins broadcasting ;2005 in New Zealand, 2005 * 17 September: 2005 New Zealand general election, 2005 general election, Labour-led government returned for a third term. ;2006 in New Zealand, 2006 * Labour enacts its election promise to remove interest on Student loan, loans to students living in New Zealand. * Five cent coins of the New Zealand dollar, coins are dropped from circulation and existing 10-cent, 20-cent and 50-cent coins are replaced with smaller coins. * The government announces a New Zealand dollar, NZ$11.5 billion surplus, the largest in the country's history and second only to Denmark in the Western World. *

population reaches 1 million ;2007 in New Zealand, 2007 * David Bain's final Privy Council appeal results in the quashing of his convictions for the murder of his family. A re-trial is ordered by the Solicitor-General of New Zealand. * 2 May: Freeview (New Zealand), Freeview is launched, providing free-to-air digital television. * 1 July: KiwiSaver retirement savings scheme introduced. * 2 July Willie Apiata receives the first Victoria Cross for New Zealand, the first New Zealander awarded a VC since World War II. * 18 December:Electoral Finance Act enacted. ;2008 in New Zealand, 2008 * 11 January: mountaineer Edmund Hillary, Sir Edmund Hillary dies. * 8 November: 2008 New Zealand general election, General election: The New Zealand National Party, National Party gains the largest share ending 9 years of Labour-led government. * 27 November: (28 November NZ Time.) XL Airways Germany A320 Flight 888T, an aeroplane owned by Air New Zealand crashes in the Mediterranean Sea off the south coast of France, killing all seven on board, 5 of whom are New Zealanders. * Helen Clark is named Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ranking third in the UN office * National reintroduces titular honours 8 years after Labour removed them from the New Zealand Honours System in 2000. ;2009 in New Zealand, 2009 * Knighthoods, Abolished by the previous government, are restored. * 6 March: David Bain retrial begins, resulting in not guilty verdicts on all five murder charges on 5 June. * 28 April: First confirmed New Zealand case in the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

2010s

;2010 in New Zealand, 2010 * 4 September: 2010 Canterbury earthquake, A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes the Canterbury Region causing widespread damage to Christchurch and surrounding areas. * 19 November: Pike River Mine disaster, Pike River mine explosion traps and kills 29 miners. ;2011 in New Zealand, 2011 * 22 February: 2011 Christchurch earthquake, A magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Christchurch causing widespread damage and 184 deaths. * 8 March: 2011 New Zealand census scheduled for this date is cancelled due to the Christchurch earthquake. * 23 October: All Blacks win 2011 Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup against France, 8–7 in Eden Park, New Zealand. * 26 November: 2011 New Zealand general election, 2011 general election: Fifth National Government re-elected to second term with reduced majority. ;2012 in New Zealand, 2012 * 5 November: Royal Commission into the Pike River mine disaster reports. ;2013 in New Zealand, 2013 * 19 August: Same-sex marriage is legalised. * 12 October: 2013 New Zealand local elections, 2013 local government elections held. *1 December: Analog television, Analogue television is switched off. ;2014 in New Zealand, 2014 * 20 January: 2014 Eketahuna earthquake, Eketahuna earthquake causes moderate damage in the lower

. * 20 September: 2014 New Zealand general election, 2014 general election is held. The National Party wins a third term in office. * October: New Zealand wins a seat on the United Nations Security Council, starting from 2015. New Zealand last held a seat in 1993–1994. ;2015 in New Zealand, 2015 * February: New Zealand joins the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIS by sending troops to Iraq to train Iraqi Soldiers against the Islamic Terror Group. * 25 October: The New Zealand national rugby union team, All Blacks Win the Rugby World Cup, the only team to ever win the tournament twice in a row. ;2016 in New Zealand, 2016 * 14 November: 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes near the town of Kaikoura in the South Island. * 5 December: John Key announces he will stand down as prime minister and leader of the National Party on 12 December. * 12 December: Bill English becomes the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand. ;2017 in New Zealand, 2017 * 26 June: Emirates Team New Zealand wins the 35th America's Cup. * 2 July: Waterview Tunnels open; at 2.4 km long each, they overtake the Lyttelton Road Tunnel to become the country's longest road tunnels. *23 September: 2017 New Zealand general election, 2017 general election is held. The National Party wins a plurality, while the Labour Party significantly increases its number of seats. * 26 October: Labour and New Zealand First form Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand, a coalition government. Labour leader Jacinda Ardern becomes the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand. ;2019 in New Zealand, 2019 * 15 March: Christchurch mosque shootings, 51 people are killed during an attack on two mosques. * December 2019: 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption, Whakaari / White Island eruption. 47 people were on the island at the time. Twenty-two people died, either in the explosion or from injuries sustained, including two whose bodies were never found and were later declared dead. A further 25 people suffered injuries, with the majority needing intensive care for severe burns.

2020s

;2020 in New Zealand, 2020 * 28 February: COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, COVID-19 reaches New Zealand. *17 October: Originally scheduled for 19 September and delayed due to a second COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 general election is held. *6 November: Official election results give Labour 65 seats, enough for a majority government, the first time a single party wins enough seats to govern alone since the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system was introduced in 1996. ;2021 in New Zealand, 2021 * 17 March: Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defends the 36th America's Cup held in Auckland, New Zealand against Luna Rossa. ;2022 in New Zealand, 2022 * 25 October: Women make up 50% of MPs in the New Zealand Parliament for the first time. * 12 November: The Black Ferns win the Women's Rugby World Cup for the sixth time.

References

External links

New Zealand
at Timelines of History
Today in New Zealand History calendar
at New Zealand History Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of New Zealand History History of New Zealand, New Zealand timelines,