While New Zealand is a relatively young country, the history of New Zealand is rich and fascinating, reflecting both our Maori and European heritage. Amazing Maori historic sites and taonga (treasures), some dating back almost a thousand years, are a contrast to many beautiful colonial buildings. A walk around any New Zealand city today shows what a culturally diverse and fascinating country we have become thanks to the history of New Zealand.

Treaty of Waitangi
An 1840 treaty between Maori and the British Crown is New Zealand’s founding document. Today, the Treaty of Waitangi has a major impact on all
New Zealanders.

Early Settlement
Bravely voyaging across the Pacific from their ancestral homeland hundreds of years ago, Maori made New Zealand their home, becoming the tangata whenua — people of the land.

Immigration
Over a thousand years ago, Maori became the first people to migrate to New Zealand. Since then, people have come from around the world to settle here.

Colonisation
Though a Dutchman was the first European to sight the land, it was the British who colonised New Zealand, leaving an indelible mark on the country and its people.