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New Zealand's Shaping History

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New Zealand's Shaping History

Use the timeline and your own historical thinking to investigate how New Zealand has been shaped by the past. For written answers, give evidence or an example where you can.

A timeline of change

Dates are approximate where noted. The events shown are only some of the many stories that shape Aotearoa New Zealand.

About 1200–1300 CE | Polynesian ancestors of Māori voyaged to and settled Aotearoa. Māori communities developed distinctive ways of living, knowledge and connections to place.

1840 | Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed at Waitangi. Māori and the Crown made an agreement; its meanings and effects have been debated and shaped New Zealand's history.

1893 | New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Māori women and women from many communities were part of the suffrage movement.

Today | People continue to discuss how to remember the past, honour Te Tiriti, and build a fair future for communities across Aotearoa.

Investigate the past

History is the study of people, places and events over time. Historians use evidence—such as objects, documents, oral histories and buildings—to ask questions about the past. Continuity means something has continued over time; change means something has become different. A single event can bring change for some people while other things continue.

1.Hemi is helping at a supermarket history display. Which choice best explains what history is?

A collection of dates to memorise without asking questions
The study of people, places and events in the past using evidence
Only stories about famous leaders
Everything that happened yesterday

2.Mei notices that the timeline begins with Polynesian ancestors settling Aotearoa and later includes Te Tiriti o Waitangi. What does the timeline help her see?

3.Choose the best example of continuity from the timeline and explanation.

People in Aotearoa continue to discuss how to remember the past and build a fair future
The date women gained the parliamentary vote was 1893
A waka travelled to Aotearoa centuries ago
A document was signed in 1840

4.The timeline lists Polynesian settlement of Aotearoa, the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, and women's voting rights in 1893. Choose one event and explain what became different as a result.

5.True or false: The timeline suggests that one event can shape the future, but people may continue to debate its meaning and effects.

TrueFalse

6.A supermarket is planning a display about the past. Oliver suggests using only written government documents as evidence. Give two other kinds of historical evidence that could help tell people's stories.

7.Why is it useful to learn about both continuity and change when studying New Zealand's history? Give one example from the timeline.

8.The timeline says Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 1840 and that its meanings and effects have been debated. Why should historians consider more than one perspective when investigating it?