Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
James Belich
One of New Zealand's foremost modern historians, James Belich has written a number of
books on NZ history and hosted the TV documentary series
The New Zealand Wars
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'Kaore e mau te rongo - ake, ake!'
(Peace never shall be made - never, never!) War chief
Rewi Maniapoto in response to government troops at the battle of Orakau, 1864
New Zealand's history is not long, but it is fast. In less than a thousand years
these islands have produced two new peoples: the Polynesian Maori and
European New Zealanders. The latter are often known by their Maori name,
'Pakeha' (though not all like the term). NZ shares some of its history with the
rest of Polynesia, and with other European settler societies, but has unique
features as well. It is the similarities that make the differences so interesting,
and vice versa.
Making Maori
Despite persistent myths, there is no doubt that the first settlers of NZ were the Polynesian
forebears of today's Maori. Beyond that, there are a lot of question marks. Exactly where in
east Polynesia did they come from - the Cook Islands, Tahiti, the Marquesas? When did they
arrive? Did the first settlers come in one group or several? Some evidence, such as the di-
verse DNA of the Polynesian rats that accompanied the first settlers, suggests multiple found-
ing voyages. On the other hand, only rats and dogs brought by the founders have survived,
not the more valuable pigs and chickens. The survival of these cherished animals would have
had high priority, and their failure to be successfully introduced suggests fewer voyages.
For a thorough overview of NZ history from Gondwanaland to today, visit
history-nz.org
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NZ seems small compared with Australia, but it is bigger than Britain, and very much big-
ger than other Polynesian islands. Its regions vary wildly in environment and climate. Prime
sites for first settlement were warm coastal gardens for the food plants brought from Polyne-
