The Aotearoa History Show

4.9 (26)
HISTORY
COMPLETE SERIES

Deep dive into a rigorous romp through the history of New Zealand, from its volcanic beginnings, through settlement, wars and social change to the late 20th century.

EPISODE 1

Rabbits & Other Pests

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

28 min
EPISODE 2

Māori: The First 500 Years

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

33 min
EPISODE 3

Teenagers

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

29 min
EPISODE 4

Epidemics

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

31 min
EPISODE 5

The Gold Rushes

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 Ara Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

31 min
EPISODE 6

Native Land Court

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 Review Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

34 min
EPISODE 7

Moriori

Moriori are the original people of Rēkohu (aka Chatham Island or Wharekauri) and 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 Ara Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

32 min
EPISODE 8

The Musket Wars

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 Encyclopaedia Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

33 min

See All Season 2 (14)

TRAILER

The Aotearoa History Show

Deep dive into a rigorous romp through the history of New Zealand, from its volcanic beginnings, through settlement, wars and social change to the late 20th century. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

S1

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1 min

4.9

out of 5

26 Ratings

Deep dive into a rigorous romp through the history of New Zealand, from its volcanic beginnings, through settlement, wars and social change to the late 20th century.