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History of New Zealand, the Youngest Country

New Zealand is the youngest country on earth - the last major landmass to be discovered. It has a rich and fascinating history, 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.

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.

The Youngest Country

Only 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.

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.

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.
  Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in Wellington
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