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The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern Polynesia.
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Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach New Zealand.
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English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New Zealand.
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The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
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A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
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Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush
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New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.
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The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing community, within the British Empire.
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New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
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New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
