History Lessons

Where It Began

80 million years ago, a mass of land know as the Rangitata Land separated from the super continent of Gondwana and evolved into what we know today as the country of New Zealand. The first settlers in the country were Polynesians, who discovered the land as early as 800 to 900 AD. The Maori people, who are the indigenous people of New Zealand, are direct descendents of the early Polynesian. The Maori people and their culture are still an integral part of New Zealand today.

Around 1642, an explorer from Holland, named Abel Tasman, came upon the coast of New Zealand. However, before he could set foot on the land, Tasman and his crew were met with violent attacks from the Maori. Many of Tasman’s men were killed and some where even eaten. Because of the bloodshed and the terror, Tasman left the islands soon after without ever coming ashore.

The next European explorer to arrive in the country was James Cook in 1769. Cook was later followed by traders, missionaries, and whalers who began to make their homes mostly on the northern coast. In the 1800’s, European’s began arriving in mass to settle in the country. In 1840, the islands of New Zealand were officially annexed by Britain.

On February 6, 1840, The Treaty of Waitangi was established between the British and numerous Maori tribes. The Treaty promised to care for Maori land if the Maoris acknowledged British rule. However, encroachment by British settlers on the land was persistent and clashes between the two groups deepened.

A constitutional government began to come about in the 1850s. The Maori people won the right to a number of reserved seats in Parliament. Also during this time period, the livestock industry began to grow, and the mortar of New Zealand's modern economy was set. Towards the end of the 19th century, transportation operations made overseas trade in meat, dairy products and wool, possible.

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