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1250
Polynesian discovery
They discovered New Zealand as they explored the Pacific, navigating by the ocean currents, winds and stars. -
Tasman
His men were the first Europeans to have a confirmed encounter with Māori. The misunderstanding and fear aroused by two such different worlds coming together soon led to violence. -
Cook
For almost 130 years, Europeans and Māori had no further contact with each other. Then on 8 October 1769, James Cook and others landed on the east side of the Tūranganui River, near present-day Gisborne. It appears from later accounts that the local Māori at first took the ship to be a floating island or giant bird. -
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Whalers and sealers
Sealing and whaling were operated by offshore companies and were largely ship based. The saleable products were skins, bones and oil. Seals in New Zealand had been hunted to the verge of extinction by 1830 and sealing was outlawed in 1926. Whaling continued and some large land based stations were built. -
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Musket Wars
After Europeans brought muskets (long-barrelled, muzzle-loading guns) to New Zealand, these weapons were used in a series of battles between Māori tribes, mostly between 1818 and 1840. As many as 20,000 people may have died, directly or indirectly. Tribal boundaries were also changed by the musket wars. -
Marsden gives first sermon
When Marsden eventually arrived here from Australia in 1814, he immediately visited Whangaroa to ascertain what really happened, and made peace among hostile local chiefs. He then continued to the Bay of Islands to preach the first sermon in the country on Christmas Day, 1814. -
Dec of Independence
On 28 October 1835, the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand was signed by the United Tribes of New Zealand, a loose confederation of Māori tribes from the far north of New Zealand organised by British resident James Busby. -
Tory arrives in Wellington harbor
The sailing ship Tory dropped anchor in Queen Charlotte Sound to pick up fresh water, food and timber before proceeding to Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour). On board were representatives of the New Zealand Company, sent to smooth the way for organised settlement. Their objectives were to purchase land, acquire information about the country, and prepare settlements for the emigrants the Company was recruiting. -
Te Tiriti
Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi is not a single large sheet of paper but a group of nine documents: seven on paper and two on parchment. Together they represent an agreement drawn up between representatives of the British Crown on the one hand and representatives of Māori iwi and hapū on the other. Named after the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed on 6 February 1840, the Treaty was also signed at locations around the country over a seven-month period. -
Wairau Affray
The Wairau Affray on 17 June 1843 was the first serious clash of arms between British settlers and Māori in New Zealand after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the only one to take place in the South Island. -
Battle at Horokiwi (Battle Hill)
Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, north of Wellington, was the site of a clash between Ngāti Toa and British troops in 1846. After a period of Māori resistance to New Zealand Company attempts to buy land, Crown forces besieged the hilltop pā of Ngāti Toa chief Te Rangihaeata for several days. -
Pakeha population surpasses Maori
Europeans have been the dominant culture for 158 years – ever since the Pakeha population surpassed Māori in 1858 -
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Taranaki War
The First Taranaki War (1860-1861) was an event of great significance in New Zealand history. The event took place in Taranaki, hence its name, yet its effects were felt throughout New Zealand and notably in Te Tau Ihu. The war concerned the sale of Māori land by a minor Te Ātiawa chief, Te Teira Manuka, to the Crown. -
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Invasion of the Waikato
What happened in the invasion of Waikato?
The invasion of Waikato in 1863–64 by British and colonial forces aimed to destroy the aspirations of the Māori King movement to autonomy and self-determination. It targeted the stronghold of the movement in the middle Waikato basin – one of the most populated and productive Māori districts in the country.