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 […]
Well somehow another year has passed so, as usual, here is a list of upcoming anniversaries to look out for. Some international ones and some local New Zealand dates as well, some notable ones and some others that will likely pass with little commemoration.
To start the new year on History Geek I’ve put together a list of some local and international historical anniversaries to watch out for over the next twelve months. Some are well-known, but I’ve included a few lesser known events as well.
One hundred years ago today the Fairfield Freezing Works held a fancy dress ball in the Orange Hall in Ashburton. The men paid three shillings and sixpence each and the women provided the food. They were entertained by the tunes of Terris’s band, local favourites who played everything […]
Cavalry units seldom saw combat in open terrain during the New Zealand Wars of the nineteenth century. The Māori had no wish to confront the British and colonial forces in conventional European battles in open fields, but instead usually fought in the bush, the hills, or behind the […]
A unique New Zealand story is hitting the big screen this weekend – Caroline Fitzgerald’s film ‘The Drowning Country’ tells the amazing story of how her great-grandmother revolutionised life jacket designs in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic. Orpheus Beaumont always had a close connection with […]
I’ve recently enjoyed reading the latest New Zealand history book to hit the shelves, Matthew Wright’s ‘Bateman Illustrated History of New Zealand’. You should grab it too! Here is why… In the twenty-first century information on topics like history is more accessible than ever before but what is […]
Today marks one hundred and fifty years since the first skirmishes of the Waikato Invasion were fought. I’m not an expert on the subject but it feels wrong to not acknowledge such an important date in New Zealand’s history. It isn’t about celebrating; it is about commemorating and […]
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