Episodit
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New Zealand has had some big ambitions in the Pacific and mixed relations with our neighbours.
Watch the video version of the episode here
Through much of the 19th century NZ politicians and administrators dreamed of running a vast empire in the Pacific. Parts of that dream came true - although for some, it was more like a nightmare.
Today, Aotearoa has fewer Pacific possessions that it once had, but the history of our attempts at colonial expansion has effects which continue to reverberate throughout the Pacific.
In this episode we discuss:
Where the idea of a NZ run Pacific Empire came from.How competition with France contributed to the push for NZ to colonize other pacific islands.Why British authorities were often reluctant to go along with the plan.How NZ eventually came to control Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.The 1918 flu outbreak in Samoa and the rise of the Mau movement.Samoan resistance to NZ control, including the "Black Saturday" killing of Samoan protesters by NZ police.The killing of Cecil Hector Larsen in Niue.Decolonisation and independence of some of NZs Pacific territories post WWII.For more on this subject:
Boyd, Mary. 'New Zealand and the other Pacific Islands.' In The Oxford illustrated history of New Zealand,Crocombe, Ron. Pacific neighbours: New Zealand's relations with other Pacific islands.Henderson, John. 'New Zealand and Oceania.' In New Zealand in world affairs IV, 1990-2005. Howe, K. R., Robert C. Kiste, and Brij V. Lal, eds. Tides of history: the Pacific Islands in the twentieth century. Ross, Angus. New Zealand aspirations in the Pacific in the nineteenth century. Salesa, Damon. 'New Zealand's Pacific.' In The new Oxford history of New Zealand.NZ and the Pacific Islands - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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It seems an almost heretical question, but it’s gotta be asked! Why are NZ and Australia different countries? You might be surprised to know that we did consider joining up with our mates across the Tasman back in the late 19th/early 20th century, but it never worked out. And that’s just a small fragment of the fascinating history of our Trans-Tasman relationship with our mates across the ditch.
Watch the video version of the episode here
It seems an almost heretical question, but it's gotta be asked! Why are NZ and Australia different countries?
You might be surprised to know that we did consider joining up with our mates across the Tasman back in the late 19th/early 20th century, but it never worked out.
And that's just a small fragment of the fascinating history of our Trans-Tasman relationship with our mates across the ditch.
In this episode we discuss:
How colonies in Australia became hubs for trade with Māori in Aotearoa.The different attitudes of Europeans towards indigenous New Zealanders and Australians.How the colony of New Zealand grew out of New South Wales.The early trans-tasman connections of New Zealand colonists.How the colonies of Australia Federated into the Commonwealth of Australia and why New Zealand didn't join up.The story of the Anzacs, and tensions between the NZ and Australian Governments during WWII.How NZ and Australia came together through military and trade agreements in the second half of the 20th century.For more on this subject:
The Prickly Pair by Denis McLeanA Destiny Apart by Keiieth SinclairRemaking the Tasman World by Philippa Mein SmithTe Ara Encyclopaedia - Australia and New ZealandGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Puuttuva jakso?
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NOTE: This episode has been reuploaded to correct some inaccuracies in the original version. We all know New Zealand was the first country in the world where women could vote. But do you know how we got there? The path to suffrage is littered with alcohol, hidden heroes & dirty tricks.
Watch the video version of the episode here
NOTE: This episode of The Aotearoa History Show has been re-uploaded to correct some inaccuracies in the original version. These changes are as follows:
A segment referring to an effort by anti-suffrage MPs to exclude Māori women from suffrage has been removed. It appears those MPs were not actually serious about implementing this change to the bill.
A segment saying Premier Richard Seddon "opposed suffrage" and acted deliberately to sabotage it has been revised to reflect a degree of uncertainty among historians about Seddon's views of suffrage.
A line saying 19th century European women were the "property" of their husbands or fathers has been removed. Women were often treated as property but were not legally defined as such.
Various changes have been made to segments referring to Kate Sheppard and the WCTU to include a perspective among some historians that the WCTU's role in the suffrage campaign was less central than previously understood.
A number of small corrections have been made to places and dates.
On 19 September 1893 Aotearoa became the first self-governing country in the world where women could vote.
So... How did it happen? Well that's a wild ride from the French Revolution, through the colonisation of Aotearoa, to battles over booze, to ultimate victory. …
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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New Zealanders like to think we have a "Number 8 Wire Mentality" - a rough and ready enthusiasm for fixing and building stuff with limited resources.
New Zealanders like to think we have a "Number 8 Wire Mentality" - a rough and ready enthusiasm for fixing and building stuff with limited resources.
From the first Māori arrivals who worked out how to grow tropical plants in our cold, wet climate - to modern scientific breeding and robotics, New Zealand agriculture has always been at the cutting edge.
Watch the video version of the episode here
But innovation isn't always good news for all people, or for the environment - so in this episode we dig into the history of New Zealand agriculture through the lens of innovation.
In this episode we discuss:
How Māori worked out which native New Zealand plants were edible.How Māori managed to grow tropical plants like kūmara in New Zealand's cold and wet climate. New Zealand innovations in sheep breeding and shearing - including the violent disputes over wide shearing combs in Australia. New Zealand's embrace of topdressing, and the devastating impacts of phosphate mining in Nauru.A whole lot more!For more on this subject:
Making a New Land edited by Eric Pawson & Tom BrookingThree Steel Teeth by Mark FilmerFarming Inventions - Te Ara EncyclopaediaGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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From a standing start of little tank engines chugging along wooden rails, New Zealand built a vast rail network, made up of enough steel rail to wrap halfway around the moon.
All aboard for a voyage into the history of New Zealand's railways!
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From a standing start of little tank engines chugging along wooden rails, New Zealand built a vast rail network, made up of enough steel rail to wrap halfway around the moon.
If our rail network was once so massive, why is it now a shadow of its former glory?
In this episode we discuss:
How Māori originally travelled overland in Aotearoa.The development of railways in the UK and the impact they had on society.Early efforts at building short railways in New Zealand.Premier Julius Vogel's massive expansion of the rail network.The importance of rail for New Zealand's economy, education, politics and culture.The challenges and opportunities rail created for Māori.The lives of those who built and maintained the rail network.The replacement of rail with automobiles and aircraft.Arguments over the return of railFor more on this subject:
Can't Get There From Here by Andre BrettTrainlands by Neill AtkinsonTe Ara Encyclopaedia - RailwaysGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Marine mammals were a source of food and clothing for Māori and Moriori, and valuable oil for Europeans. Hunting them brought cultures together, made fortunes and cost lives but today it's saving them that unites people.
"Thar she blows!"
"Whales to starboard!"
Watch here
Marine mammals have played a vital role in the history of Aotearoa. Māori and Moriori hunted seals in huge numbers for food and clothing, and many non-Māori were drawn to these shores to harvest the skins and oil of seals and whales. The arrival of these new sealers and whalers would have enormous impacts, and not just on the animals they hunted...
In this episode we discuss:
Māori and Moriori hunting of seals and beliefs about whales. The hardships experienced by early non-Māori sealers.How sealers and whalers interacted with Māori, including the burning of the Boyd, the "Sealers War", and the role of so called "Pākehā Māori".The various methods and techniques used by 19th century whalers.What whale and seal products were used for.How international events, such as the Napoleonic Wars, affected the whaling trade in New Zealand and the rest of the Pacific.The role Māori played in whaling.The rise of the modern environmental and anti-whaling movements.For more on this subject:
The Old Whaling Days: a History of Southern New Zealand From 1830 To 1840 by Robert McNabTe Ara Encyclopaedia - WhalingTe Ara Encyclopaedia - SealingGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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These are the wars that cost more lives than any other in our history. Stretched over more than a decade & the entire country, these conflicts changed Māori warfare & much of what came next.
For more than 30 years Aotearoa was beset by warfare as Māori hapū and iwi made use of new gunpowder weapons to settle old disputes with rivals. It's estimated 50 thousand people were directly affected - killed, injured, enslaved, or forced to migrate from traditional lands.
Watch the video version of the episode here
These conflicts had a massive impact on everything from the Treaty of Waitangi, to the battles of the New Zealand Wars.
These days they are most commonly known as The Musket Wars.
In this episode we discuss:
The Battle of Mātakitaki.The story of Hongi Hika, and how the musket wars began, then spread around Aotearoa. How concepts of utu and mana influenced the wars.How Māori were able to make peace after conflicts.The debate over the importance of muskets to the conflict compared to the importance of potatoes.How practices like kai tangata (cannibalism) and mokomokai (the taking and preserving of human heads) were involved in these conflicts.How the Musket Wars influenced the signing to The Treaty of Waitangi and He Whakapūtanga (The Declaration of Independence).How the Musket Wars influenced British colonisation, and the New Zealand Wars.How and why the Musket Wars ended.For more on this subject:
The Forgotten Wars by Ron Crosby.Hongi Hika: Warrior Chief by Dorothy Ulrich Cloher.Making Peoples by James Belich.Musket Wars - Te Ara EncyclopaediaGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Moriori are the original people of Rēkohu (aka Chatham Island or Wharekauri) & they have a tragic and inspiring story. Unfortunately, that story's often been twisted into, well, utter rubbish.
Moirori history has often been twisted out of shape over the years, much like some of the trees on Rēkohu bending in the strong winds. The stories of these remote islands and the people who made their home there go back centuries, but they've been misunderstood and misinterpreted for nearly as long.
Watch the video version of the episode here
Moriori are not the first people of New Zealand, they weren't forced out by Maori and they aren't extinct. In fact, we've worked closely with the Hokotehi Moriori Trust on this episode, drawing on their oral traditions as well as our own thorough, independent research.
What emerges is a story that challenges what many New Zealanders have been told and leaves some hard questions. But at its centre is a centuries-long commitment to peace and non-violence that has had a profound influence far beyond Rēkohu's wild shores.
In this episode we try to set things straight by explaining:
How Moriori first arrived in Rēkohu.How Moriori adapted to the harsh conditions of their home. The development of Nunuku's law of peace.Some details of Moriori life, culture, and religion.The first arrival of European explorers.The impact of European sealing gangs.The invasion of Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama in 1835.The killing and enslavement of Moriori by these iwiHow New Zealand colonial authorities responded (or failed to respond) to the enslavement of Moriori.The efforts of Hirawanu Tapu and others to reclaim Moriori land, and preserve Moriori history and culture. The impact of Moriori philosophy on the pacifist Parihaka movement.The origins of myths of Moriori as the "first" people of Aotearoa, and why they became popular.The modern revival of Moriori culture.For more on this subject:
www.moriori.co.nzMoriori YouTube Channel Moriori language appMoriori: A People Rediscovered by Michael KingMoriori Deed of Settlement Moriori - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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In 1841 a few tiny islands of Pākehā settlement existed in an ocean of Māori land. Today, that picture has reversed & Māori own a fraction of Aotearoa. A big part of the reason? The Native Land Court.
Large chunks of land changed hands through the Native Land Court; or as it was also known: Te Kooti Tango Whenua - The Land Taking Court. Created by the 1862 Native Lands Act, the court was meant to establish individual land ownership under the new British colonial government. In practice it began a process of land alienation for Maori that continued until the 1990s.
Watch the video version of the episode here
In this episode we discuss:
The right of preemption and the large crown land purchases in the 1840s and 50s.How these purchases contributed to increasing Māori opposition to land sales.How Māori opposition to land sales contributed to the New Zealand Wars.The different ways Māori and Pākehā thought about land.How and why the court was first established. The racist attitudes of some judges and officials.The impact of the "1840 rule" and the "10-owners rule", including the sale of the Heretaunga block.How debt was used to ensnare Māori in the court. The negative impacts of attending court on Māori.How Māori attempted to reform or remove the court in the 19th century, including the efforts of the Kotahitanga movement. The efforts of Māori MPs to slow down the loss of Māori land in the early 20th Century. The 1965 Māori Affairs Amendment Act and how it acted as a catalyst for protest movements.How those movements achieved reforms, including Te Ture Whenua Māori Act.The ongoing impacts of the Native Land Court and attempts to address injustices.For more on this subject:
Te Kooti Tango Whenua by David WilliamsIllustrated History of New Zealand by Judith BinneyKa Whawhai Tonu Matou: Struggle Without End by Ranginui WalkerConquest by Contract: Wealth Transfer and Land Market Structure in Colonial New Zealand by Stuart Banner, Law & Society ReviewGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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The discovery of gold drew tens of thousands to New Zealand in search of fortune. It was a hard life, but diggers brought mateship, fashion & egalitarian ideas that changed the country forever.
Gold! The mania for this shiny yellow metal swept all over Aotearoa in the second half of the 19th century and left the country, and many of its people, fundamentally changed.
Watch the video version of the episode here
This episode we ask:
Māori attitudes towards gold before, and after European contact?What makes a gold rush happen?How did the New Zealand gold rush fit into the context of gold rushes overseas?How did the rush get started?Who were the diggers and what were they like?What was the role of women in the rush?How did the gold rush affect tangata whenua?What was the role of Chinese migrants in the gold rush, and how did Europeans respond to them?How did the gold rush happen in different parts of Aotearoa?For more on this subject:
Diggers, Hatters and Whores by Stevan Eldred-Grigg Finding "Te Wherro" in Ōtōkou: Māori and the early days of the Otago gold rush by Lloyd Carpenter, MAI Journal.Journey to Lan Yuan by Toitu Otago Settlers Museum Gold and Gold Mining - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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New Zealanders have battled Covid-19 for more than two years, but if you think it's the first time disease has knocked us around, well, this one's for you. Epidemics have long been part of our story.
During the Covid-19 pandemic we've heard people say stuff like "we're living in unprecedented times"... But every time they hear that, historians get extremely annoyed! Epidemics have had a huge impact on many countries through history and New Zealand is no exception.
Watch the video version of the episode here
In this episode we dig into the history of epidemics in Aotearoa New Zealand, including:
Why Māori were relatively free of diseases until European arrival in Aotearoa.The factors which helped promote the development of epidemic diseases in Europe and Asia.The early impacts of disease on Māori in the 19th century.Efforts by colonial authorities to reduce the impacts of disease on Māori, and how these efforts were linked to a goal of "assimilating" Māori into European culture.Efforts by Māori to reduce the impact of disease.The development of sanitary infrastructure and its impact on epidemic disease.The 1918 flu pandemic.Polio epidemics in the 20th century.The impact of modern medicines, including vaccines.For more on this subject:
The Healthy Country? A History of Life and Death in New Zealand by Alistair Woodward and Tony BlakelyBlack November by Geoffrey RiceDirt: Filth and Decay in a New World Arcadia by Pamela Janet WoodEpidemics - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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The 1950s saw an explosion of youth culture. "Bodgies and widgies' ' tearing round on motorbikes & hanging out in milk bars scandalised many Kiwi adults. Was "the teenager" invented in the 1950s? And what is a "milk bar" anyway?
The 1950s saw an explosion of youth culture in Aotearoa. Stories about "bodgies and widgies' ' tearing up the streets on motorbikes, canoodling in the cinemas and hanging around in milk bars scandalised many kiwi adults. In fact, it's often said the whole idea of "the teenager" was born in the 1950s. But is that really true? And what even is a "milk bar" anyway?
Watch the video version of the episode here
In this episode we trace the history of kiwi teens including:
The drama over the 1954 "Mazengarb Report"How people in their teens were viewed by wider society, both Pākehā and Māori, in the early 19th century.How the industrial revolution, and the introduction of compulsory education, reshaped those views.The experience of takatāpui (LGBTQ+) teenagers, including for Māori prior to colonisation, and Pākehā teens in the late 19th Century.Compulsory military service and a generally conservative society in the early 20th century. How "teen culture" emerged in the 1950s.How Māori teens experienced life in the city as Māori increasingly migrated to urban areas after WWII. The involvement of teens in protest movements from the 1960s onwards.For more on this subject:
Teenagers: The Rise of Youth Culture in New Zealand by Chris BrickellAll Shook Up by Redmer YskaThe "Mazengarb Report"Teeangers and Youth - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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The first 500 years of Māori settlement in Aotearoa saw significant, dynamic changes to how people lived; changes that challenge the idea of Māori culture as something carved in stone.
There's sometimes a temptation to think of Māori as a people "frozen in time" - that Māori culture and ways of life were unchanged between the time they arrived in Aotearoa sometime before 1300AD until Captain Cook and the Endeavour arrived in 1769.
But that's totally wrong! In 500 years, any people are going to change.... A lot!
Watch the video version of the episode here
In this episode we look at:
How Māori arrived in Aotearoa.How the first few generations seem to have lived.Evidence of Aotearoa's "first capital city" at Wairau Bar and the role it may have played in early Māori society.How the extinction of megafauna and a cooling climate seem to have triggered major changes in Māori ways of life.Why Māori had different lifestyles in different parts of Aotearoa.How Māori traded and settled disputes.How the end of the "little ice age" seemed to trigger more changes in Māori ways of life.For more on this subject:
Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History by Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney and Aroha HarrisThe Making of the Māori Middle Ages by Atholl Anderson, Journal of New Zealand Studies Māori - Te AraGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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No-one knows for sure who first introduced rabbits to New Zealand, because no-one wanted to take the blame for what became one of New Zealand's biggest environmental and economic disasters. We start season two burrowing into the devastating history of rabbits and other pests.
We start season two burrowing into the story of rabbits and other pests. What started with plenty of (h)optimism has led to generations of damage to our environment and economy.
Watch the video version of the episode here
By Tim Watkin
History is a river; fluid, flowing, always changing and always the same. That bit about history always changing is something that many people find hard to accept. It's behind us, it's happened, frozen in time. We often want to come to conclusions about the past and keep it, well, in the past. Wrap it up and move on. But as Billy Bragg once wrote, "The past is always knocking incessant / Trying to break through into the present".
And it often succeeds. Whenever as a country we debate issues such as inequality, co-governance, free speech, taxes... you name it, history is banging at the door wanting to have its say.
How you see that river of history or hītōria, ah well, that depends on where you're standing. And when you're standing there. And who you're standing with. And what you already know about rivers; or think you know. Perhaps which language you speak. As hard as it can be for people to accept, there is no right version of history, history does not end and our views of the events, people and issues of the past have always and will always keep changing. And that's a good thing. History is at its most revealing when you approach it with an open mind and a little empathy.
That's been a guiding principle for the team making the second season of The Aotearoa History Show. Our job is to explain history not to pass judgment on it. That's a tough thing to do in these times, when people seem more eager than ever to make declarations about the rights and wrongs of history and the people who made it. Standing on at one point on the riverbank, looking at one part of the river while making sweeping declarations about the whole river is likely to get you lots of likes on social media…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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RNZ presents The Aotearoa History Show - this time as an audio only podcast!
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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It's the final episode of the Aotearoa History Show! Rogernomics, Ruthanasia and the referendum on MMP saw the total restructuring of our economy and voting system. Plus a snapshot of the changing demographics of Aotearoa/New Zealand, the growth of dairy and tourism and the challenges still to come.
The 1984 election is a tumultuous tipping point; the start of a new New Zealand with a more open, less equal economy; a new style of democracy and a more diverse population.
Watch here
By William Ray
As I've been releasing episode after episode of The Aotearoa History Show over the past few weeks, a colleague has taken to asking me, "how's New Zealand history going today?", writes Tim Watkin, RNZ executive producer, podcasts and series.
I think I must have looked a bit brow-beaten by what has been a mammoth piece of work. I mean, who in their right mind tries to tell the entire history of a nation in 14 15-20 minutes YouTube videos?
But each time I've replied, something like "oh it's getting there. A bit different from yesterday" or "still changing".
Because one of the great mistakes people make when they discuss history - be it the history of New Zealand or indeed anywhere - is to assume that facts are facts and what's done is done. The truth is quite the opposite. History is forever changing, morphing, evolving into something new.
At least, our understanding of it is. Excuse me if this sounds a bit Fight Club-esque, but one of the few unchanging facts of history, is that there are few unchanging facts in history.
Our willingness to be open to that is going to vital as we prepare to teach New Zealand history in our schools. It's so important that young New Zealanders will get to learn how we got from here to there, but just as crucial for us to keep an open mind as we do it.
The risk is always that we fall into the trap of insisting there is only one way to tell our stories or only certain stories that can be told. There are heroes and villains, triumphs and disasters in all times, cultures, genders, classes, faiths and more.
Sure, there's no excuse for simple inaccuracies. The stubborn myth that Moriori were the first people of New Zealand pre-dating Maori and conquered by them should be a cautionary tale to anyone wanting to dismiss the facts of history altogether.
The truth we know is quite different... and explained in episode two, by the way. But when we talk about events covered by the mist of time, culture, politics and any number of human failings, we must always be open to how much we don't know and how much our understanding can change…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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The 60s, 70s and 80s were rowdy decades. Kiwis were getting out in the streets and raising their voices about the rights of Māori, women and LGBT people, nuclear energy, the environment. Plus the most controversial sporting event in our history: The 1981 Springbok Tour.
Through the 60s and 70s generations clashed and minority groups fought for their rights. Social issues such as women's rights and nuclear power gained traction, as the economy stayed strong in Fortress New Zealand. The dominant politician was Robert Muldoon, but those social and economic issues were coming to a head.
Watch the video version of the episode here
Topics covered:
Women's rights movements focusing on debates over equal pay, abortion, contraceptives, sex education and sexismLGBT rights with particular focus on law reforms about same sex relationships and controvesy around lesbians in the women's movement.Controversy surrounding apartheid and the Springbok rugby team in the 1970sThe election of Robert Muldoon.1970s economic problems including discussion of protectionism, Muldoon's "Think Big" policies, price and wage freezes.The environmental movement, including the Lake Manapōuri and the Mairuia Declaration.The 1981 Springbok Tour.Nuclear-Free Movement and the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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After the war came a new quest for security and identity. With it came new political debates and alliances. Maori and Pasifika moved to the cities. The way we viewed ourselves as a nation was changing.
The 50s and 60s were decades of huge cultural change. Māori were moving into the cities in large numbers for the first time. Meanwhile, there were communist scares, industrial disputes, moral panics about rowdy teenagers - and the beginning of a new kind of kiwi identity.
Watch the video version of episode here
Topics covered:
The post-war Baby BoomMāori urbanisationThe Cold War, concerns about communist agents and the ANZUS TreatyThe formation of the NZ National PartyThe Waterfront DisputeConcerns about teen "immorality" moral panic and crackdownsThe shift from British to Pākehā identity, growing enthusiasm for "kiwi" cultureSamoan independence.The Dawn Raids and Polynesian PanthersThe Māori Renaissance and activism, including the 1975 Land March and Bastion Point OccupationThe Treaty of Waitangi Act and the role of the Waitangi TribunalGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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A second world war swept the globe, dragging New Zealand once more onto the battlefield, this time in the Pacific as well as Europe. In the likes of Crete, Greece and North Africa and on Pacific islands Kiwis served and died. At home, women joined those in reserved occupations to support the war effort until finally the Axis powers were defeated.
New Zealanders play a small but significant role in the Second World War on land, sea and air. Meanwhile our farms and factories keep supplies flowing to the battlefields. But when Japan enters the war it looks like the fighting is about to arrive on our doorstep.
Watch the video version of the episode here
Topics covered:
NZers in the Spanish Civil War.The difference between volunteers for WWI vs WWII.The formation of the 28th Māori Battalion.The battles for Greece and Crete, and the North Africa campaign.Manpowering regulations and the role of women, both in the armed services and taking over jobs in farms and factories.Japanese entry into the war, coastal fortification and the Semple Tank.The holocaust and NZ's attitute toward Jewish refugees.Aotearoa/New Zealand's reaction to the end of the warGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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With World War I and the flu epidemic past, the good times rolled through the 1920s. Then came the bust of the Great Depression, prompting widespread poverty - that was worse for some - and the rise of the first Labour government.
It's the 1920s and kiwi prosperity is reaching a new high point. Yet the roots of another disaster are lurking beneath the surface... The Great Depression rips through the global economy, causing huge political upheavals, unemployment and, here in New Zealand, the birth of cradle to grave welfare.
Watch the video version of the episode here
Topics covered:
Prosperity in the 1920s, new technologies, increasing home ownership and educationThe causes of the Great Depression with a particular focus on the NZ economy's reliance on British markets. The impact of the Great Depression on unemployed workers, their families and on single women. The 1931 earthquake.The rise of the NZ Labour Party and their social welfare policies Māori experience of the Great DepressionNotable Māori political figures in this time period, particularly Apirana Ngata, Te Puea Herangi.The rise of the Ratana Church and Wiremu Ratana's alliance with Labour.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
- Näytä enemmän
