The story of Aotearoa begins 100 million years ago. Huge tectonic forces rip apart the old supercontinent of Gondwana. A brand new continent is formed, Te Riu-a-Māui/Zealandia, it’s many times the size of modern day New Zealand. We meet the creatures which called this land home and witness the geological and climatic forces which reshaped the land.
The Polynesian people who first discovered Aotearoa spent hundreds of years exploring the Pacific Ocean. When they finally arrived here it was unlike anything they had seen before. It’s a story of technological innovation, new horizons and becoming a new people.
Abel Tasman and James Cook’s first contacts with Māori were complex and sometimes violent. Europeans introduce new technologies, food and ideas, such as muskets, potatoes and Christianity. In some cases this works out well for Tangata Whenua - but in other cases the consequences are devastating.
In Europe, factions argue over the future of Aotearoa. Colonisation? Protection for indigenous peoples? Meanwhile, Māori have their own ideas how to handle the growing number of Pakeha. In the end, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is signed, but the early promise quickly turns to confusion and, ultimately, war.
Waikato Māori had been steadfast allies of Pākehā but the hunger for land from influential colonists and the rise of Kingitanga encourages Governor George Grey to launch a massive invasion. The war is devastating for Māori but the fighting is not as one-sided as the British expected.
British troops are leaving Aotearoa but conflict between the government and so-called “rebel” Māori gets more intense as settler militia enter the fray. Some Māori chose to fight alongside the Crown while others become followers of new religious movements, which seem to promise a way out.
The New Zealand Wars are over… what comes next? A whole lot of political wrangling over how to run the new colony - centralism or provinces? Plus - how refrigeration saved the Kiwi economy from the brink of disaster and how women won the right to vote.
More settlers are coming to NZ and most want one thing: Land. This time the colonial government doesn’t launch a war to get hold of that land - instead it creates new legal structures that undermine Maori tradition. Plus, how early colonists shaped our image of the “classic kiwi bloke” and the story of Parihaka.
It’s the war which claimed more New Zealand lives than any other. It’s also the event that’s often claimed as the ‘foundational moment” where we “became a nation”. But is that really true? In this episode we take a deep dive into the First World War, why we fought, what it cost us, and its long-term effects on kiwi identity.
It’s the 1920s and kiwi prosperity is reaching a new high point. Unfortunately, the roots of another disaster are lurking just beneath the surface... The Great Depression rips through the global economy, causing huge political upheavals for Pākehā and Māori alike.
New Zealanders play a small but significant role in the Second World War on land, sea and air. Meanwhile, our farms and factories keep supplies flowing to the battlefields. But when Japan enters the war it looks like the fighting is about to arrive on our doorstep.
After the war, came a new quest for security and identity. With it came new political debates and alliances. Even a moral panic. Maori and Pasifika moved to the cities. The way we viewed ourselves as a nation was changing.
The 60s, 70s and 80s were rowdy decades. Kiwis were getting out in the streets and raising their voices about the rights of Māori, women and LGBT people, nuclear energy, the environment. Plus the most controversial sporting event in our history: The 1981 Springbok Tour.
It’s the final episode! This time it’s the Rogernomics, Ruthanasia and the total restructuring of our economy and voting system. Plus the changing demographics of Aotearoa/New Zealand, the growth of dairy & tourism and the challenges we’re facing the future.
