Even if you aren’t familiar with Bernard Freyberg’s story, most New Zealanders will recongise the name. Streets, swimming pools, sports awards, buildings are all named after him – if I recall correctly a house at a primary school I attended was named after him too, a popular choice. […]
When my copy of Matthew Wright’s expanded and updated edition of ‘Living on Shaky Ground: The science and story behind New Zealand’s earthquakes’ arrived I was looking forward to learning about the latest advances in seismology; slow-slip earthquakes, the complex multi-fault Kaikōura quake and how seismic events previously […]
At the beginning of each new year I like to share a list of some upcoming anniversaries to watch out for, a mix of some from New Zealand and some international, some notable events and some a little more obscure, but first there is something to celebrate. We […]
A very special ship is celebrating a big anniversary today. The Cutty Sark is one of the most famous tall ships in the world, a tea clipper that won the admiration of so many for her speed during one of the most exciting annals in maritime history. She […]
A century ago communities around New Zealand gathered to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Hostilities had ended the previous November, but now the official terms of the peace had been locked into place, the worst of the deadly flu had passed and many loved ones […]
Seventy-five years ago the largest seaborne invasion in history was underway in Normandy, France. In the early hours of the morning, airbourne troops landed behind enemy lines and fought their way to strategic objectives and then just before dawn an opening bombardment roared along the coast – followed […]
The 28th (Māori) Battalion is one of New Zealand’s most well-known military units to have served during the Second World War. Their heroism on battlefields in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy is the stuff of legends. Sadly there are only a couple of veterans from this unit […]
This is the story behind a remarkable collection of photographs that remained hidden for over a century. Glass plate negatives with forgotten scenes of everyday life in Edwardian New Zealand. It is also the story of my personal quest to discover who was behind the lens – the […]
This week marked one hundred and seventy-nine years since New Zealand’s foundational document was signed on Busby’s lawn at Waitangi. It was peddled by a frail Royal Navy officer, influenced and interpreted by other Europeans, each with their own agendas, and the signatories also had their own individual […]
Happy New Year! As is tradition here at History Geek, at the start of each year I like to share a list of upcoming anniversaries. This isn’t an exhaustive or definitive list – there are others that do a much more thorough job than me – this is […]
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