Articles in ‘History’

On their way from England to settle in New Zealand in 1875, my grandparents William and Maria Bliss broke their journey at Hobart, Tasmania, where my father Albert Edward Bliss was born. He was named after the husband of Queen Victoria. The family, which later grew to two sons and three daughters, later settled in Woodville, New Zealand, where grandfather was the original town cobbler. My dad left primary school early and matured early as an…

In August 1838, the New Zealand Association reformed as the second New Zealand Colonisation Company. It required massive capital to start up, but there was still interest following the first New Zealand Company which had been propelled by positive reports from Captain Cook’s surveys, and the misguided belief that the company could have had exclusive trade with this new colony, which had been playing second fiddle to the settlement of Australia.

Today, Moriori are trying to restore their place in the public consciousness as the tchakat henu (tangata whenua) of the Chatham Islands, but they’re up against some competition. Recent vandalism of Moriori cultural artefacts recalls an ancient feud which dates back to Moriori being both persecuted and ignored by two peoples. In their heyday, the Moriori numbered 2000 people, but their idyll was to be violently shattered, all within a decade… Li…

Last issue, we read of a family being slain in cold blood in the Bay of Islands, and the first test of British justice. Now it’s Part 3 of New Zealand’s Bloody History, the Battle of Pukekohe: our town turned to battleground. In September 1863, the British army charged down the Great South Road, and Ngāti Pou marched north, and in the middle was the scene of the pluckiest and staunchest defence of settler interests in the New Zealand Wars – a…

There are very few of the older generation who have not heard of a de Havilland Mosquito. But few have had the good fortune to see one in the air, although many enthusiasts have seen them as static displays, essentially museum models. No matter when or how you see the Mosquito, you cannot help but be impressed by the beauty and grace of the aircraft. Geoffrey de Havilland and his chief designer C C Walker revealed their true genius in designing…

Every year we celebrate the attempt by a group of English dissidents to blow up the English parliament over 400 years ago. Every November the letting off of fireworks results in a flood of claims to ACC, sends horses through fences and terrorises cats and dogs, keeps fire brigades busy battling blazes and has insurance companies running for cover. · Why do we do it? Well, fireworks are fun, as the Chinese discovered about 2000 years ago. Many…

Last issue, we heard of the terrible conquest of Hongi Hika, a warlord whose bloodlust began by avenging Ngāpuhi. But there have been other killers in New Zealand’s past, who didn’t need war to justify their slaughter. Meet young Maketu, son of a Ngāpuhi Chief, who embarked on a murderous rampage because he was having a bad day… In 1837, Captain John Roberton purchased Motuarohia Island (Russell, Northland), began converting the island for…

After his death, James Cook’s memory was revered and his mana grew, while ‘his reputation spread across the Pacific’.[^2] However, it was in only those places, such as Hawaii and Tahiti, where ‘Cook had forged a ceremonial friendship with a paramount chief that he later became a focus of ancestral veneration’.[^3] For Maori, it was his Tahitian companions who were remembered in oral traditions, while Tongan memories focussed on the plot to kill…

New Zealand has its noble history – the glossy version which is safe for our children to learn about in school, the version of peace, pasture and parchment. But then there’s the other history of New Zealand, a history in which men like Hongi Hika orchestrated endless warfare, drenching entire generations in blood, just to quell their appetite. Welcome to Part 1 of New Zealand’s Bloody History… “When Hongi Hika conquered new terrain,” says…

On his return to England in July 1775, Cook accepted a position with the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, claiming his sailing days were over, probably to the relief of his wife. Before long, the lure of the ocean had Cook agreeing to lead a two-ship expedition to the North Pacific. He would again command Resolution, with the assistance of John Gore and William Bligh (of Bounty fame), and Charles Clerke would take the helm on Discovery. The aim of…