New Zealand Books > NZ History

New Zealand in the 1820s had no government or bureaucratic presence; no newspapers were published; the literate population was probably no more than a couple of dozen people at any one time. Early explorers' assessments of New Zealand were haphazard at best - few knew what to make of this foreign land and its people. In this groundbreaking history of early New Zealand, Paul Moon details how so many of the events in this decade - the introduction of aggressive capitalism, the arrival of literacy and the beginnings of Maori print cu... read more

Fictional dairy farmers and herd testers discuss actual experiences.

The Treaty of Waitangi is the most important document in New Zealand's history. Current Treaty issues and Maori/Pakeha relationships can only be understood within the wider story of New Zealand. As we understand and honour our history, we can acknowledge the need for restoration, healing and right relationships. The public response to previous editions of this bestselling book by Robert Consedine and his daughter Joanna Consedine has been strong and overwhelmingly positive. This 2012 edition updates and expands on the critical iss... read more

Nation Dates presents a timeline of 218 key events, spanning the years 1770-2011, that have shaped the development of New Zealand as a nation. The Sustainable Future Institute has compiled this timeline as an important record of our nation's past and a valuable resource for establishing a context for our future.About the author:Wendy McGuinness is the founder and chief executive of the Sustainable Future Institute. A Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) specialising in risk management, Wendy has worked in both the public and private s... read more

Crombie To Burton Early New Zealand Photography is a catalogue publication that beautifully illustrates the work of photographers in nineteenth century New Zealand. Researched and written by Michael Graham-Stewart and John Gow, this publication documents in imagery the colonial period of New Zealand's past and includes photographs such as the Wrigglesworth and Binns image of the 1883 Auckland touring team and a rare ambrotype by John Crombie of Tamati Waka Nene. Crombie To Burton Early New Zealand Photography accompanies John Leech... read more

After arriving in Auckland in December 1858, Ferdinand Hochstetter was soon in demand for his geological knowledge in the Auckland province. With his new friend Julius Haast he embarked on a three-month expedition into the interior of the North Island, including the volcanic zone and the remarkable Pink and White Terraces. He subsequently made a trip to Coromandel and then a two-month trip to Nelson and the rugged backcountry including Golden Bay. As well as documenting geology and mineral prospects he also collected natural histor... read more

New Zealanders choose to represent ourselves to the world wearing black - and not just the All Blacks, Tall Blacks and Silver Ferns. Many of our fashion designers choose black as the cornerstone of their collections, and a great deal of our cultural icons (think Fred Dagg) are also characterised by wearing black. BLACK is a gorgeously illustrated celebration and exploration of New Zealand's obsession with clothing ourselves in black - in society, power and politics, cultural icons, sport, fashion, film and music, from the Lit... read more

This is the story of the newspaper correspondence column Dot's Little Folk and those who wrote to it. Little Folk was the first correspondence column for children in a New Zealand newspaper. It became the largest feature column of any kind in the history of New Zealand journalism, and it gave rise to a social and literary movement among this country's youth, that can only be called a culture. 'Dear Dot, I was six years old this birthday. I had a party with a cake and icing. Mamma is helping me write this. I have three sisters, two ... read more

In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the vote, an achievement of which we are justly proud, but it wasn't easily achieved. Respected historian Megan Hutching records and explains this momentous event, including profiles of the women who brought about the government's change of heart. Their stories are an important part of our history and their courage, loyalty and fierce belief in democracy was remarkable. The story of how New Zealand women won the vote makes fascinating reading.

As the first history to encompass the entire century, New Zealand in the TwentiethCentury can be said to be following on from the survey histories of the last century. However, this epic work is much more than a traditional chronology of events. Rather, it brings to life in vivid detail the social, political, and culturallandscape of New Zealand in this period, and combines it with often intimate portrayals of people, places, ideas, and events that defined us as a nation.The result is a magnificently panoramic portrait of the count... read more

First to Care is the most comprehensive history written of the Order of St John in New Zealand. Told in a readable style with more than 250 photos and illustrations, First to Care unearths new information from the founding of the St John Ambulance Association in 1885 through to today’s organization, tracing traces the contributions of thousands of volunteers and staff over this long history of service. Graeme Hunt is one of our leading business historians. Based in Auckland, he is a wr... read more

New Zealand Truth's scandal-ridden history has never before been told. This book not only documents an important part of New Zealand's media history, but also gives us a fascinating and colourful window on this country's social history.

The Duncans have been farming Otiwhiti in the Turakina River valley since the 1880s, when they purchased the land from the local iwi. The backstory of this station is rich and fascinating. The remarkable, generous family that has farmed this unforgiving Rangitikei hill country has also directed the farm's profits towards charitable projects, most notably the Duncan Hospital, which pioneered treatment for polio patients in the 1940s and 1950s. Centering on Tom (T.A.) Duncan, and his wife Jeannie, the founders and driving forces behi... read more

New Zealand was the last major landmass, other than Antarctica, to be settled by humans. The story of this rugged and dynamic land is beautifully narrated, from its origins in Gondwana some 80 million years ago to the twenty-first century. Philippa Mein Smith highlights the effects of the country's smallness and isolation, from its late settlement by Polynesian voyagers and colonisation by Europeans - and the exchanges that made these people Maori and Pakeha - to the dramatic struggles over land and recent efforts to manage global ... read more

The census tells us that 8000 New Zealanders actively identify as Jewish and it is estimated that the broader population is probably around 25,000. There has never been an authoritative history of this country's Jewish population and yet people of Jewish descent (both secular and religious) have played vital roles in all aspects of our society throughout its history. Auckland alone has had five Jewish mayors. Jews have been prominent in New Zealand's business, cultural, intellectual, political, medical, intellectual life an... read more

New Zealand was the last country in the world to be discovered and settled by humankind. It was also the first to introduce full democracy. Between those events, and in the century that followed the franchise, the movements and conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in New Zealand than anywhere else on Earth. The Penguin History of New Zealand tells that story in all its colour and drama. The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Maori and Pakeha. It shows that Br... read more

The Great Divide, working from the original documents from 200 years ago, directly challenges the findings of books like Michael King’s Penguin History of New Zealand or Claudia Orange’s Treaty of Waitangi, and in doing so offers a fresh new perspective on an issue affecting every single New Zealander. Among the book’s findings, all fully supported with documentary citations: • The scientifically-documented discovery of stone tools five metres underground, beneath ancient forests in the South Island a... read more

One of New Zealand's most extraordinary stories describes the courage of the conscientious objectors sent overseas during WW1 in a brutal attempt to force them to renounce their convictions and join the war effort. Despite torture and privation, Archie Baxter and Mark Briggs held out till the end, in one of the bravest displays of principle New Zealand has ever seen. They were this country's first successful dissenters, in defiance of a militaristic, neo-colonial government that feared non-conformity.