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New Zealand History Timelines

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New Zealand History Timelines

Use the timeline and the evidence notes to investigate how events in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history connect. Dates show when events happened; they do not, by themselves, explain why an event mattered.

Evidence notes

In 1769, the Endeavour, captained by James Cook, reached Aotearoa. Māori had already lived here for many centuries. In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and many Māori rangatira signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi. The texts in te reo Māori and English differ in important ways, and people continue to debate their meaning and effects. In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in national elections. In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion within the British Empire, gaining greater control over its own affairs while retaining constitutional links to Britain. In 1915, New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli during the First World War. In 1975, the Waitangi Tribunal was established to consider claims about breaches of Treaty principles; at first, it could investigate only recent actions.

1.The marked dates show six events from the evidence notes. Which event happened first, and which happened last?

2.Write these dates in chronological order, earliest to latest: 1975, 1893, 1840, 1915.

3.Which statement is best supported by the evidence notes?

The Treaty texts in te reo Māori and English mean exactly the same thing.
New Zealand women gained the right to vote in national elections before women in any other country.
The Waitangi Tribunal was created in 1975 and could initially investigate only recent actions.
New Zealand became fully independent in 1907.

4.Match each year on the left with the correct event on the right.

1840
1893
1907
1975

Treaty signed by Crown representatives and many Māori rangatira
Waitangi Tribunal established
New Zealand became a dominion
Women gained the right to vote in national elections

5.True or false: Māori had already lived in Aotearoa for many centuries when Cook arrived in 1769.

TrueFalse

6.Complete the sentence using the evidence notes: In 1907, New Zealand became a dominion, gaining greater control over its own affairs while retaining constitutional links to .

7.The Treaty was signed in 1840, while the Waitangi Tribunal was established in 1975. Give one reason, based on the evidence notes, that the later event was significant.

8.How many years passed between women gaining the right to vote in national elections (1893) and New Zealand becoming a dominion (1907)? Show your calculation.

9.A student says, “Because the Tribunal was set up in 1975, it must have been able to investigate every Treaty-related action since 1840.” Is this conclusion supported by the evidence? Explain.

10.Use two events from the timeline to explain one way a timeline can help someone understand New Zealand’s history. Include a connection between the events, not just their dates.