2. Introduction
• 19th century: European
settlement increased
through the early decades.
• In 1839: The New Zealand
Company announced plans
to buy large tracts of land
and establish colonies in
New Zealand.
• 1832: The British government appointed James Busby as
Official Resident.
• 1834: Māori chiefs encouraged to assert their sovereignty.
• 1835: The signing of the Declaration of Independence.
3. Colonial period
• The European population of New Zealand grew
explosively from fewer than 1000 in 1831 to 500,000 by
1881.
• Administered at first as a part of the Australian colony,
New Zealand became a colony in its own right on 1 July
1841.
4. Independence
• In 1852 New Zealand was divided into provinces, with
their own government and elected representatives.
• In the late 1890s New Zealand showed its sense of
independence by deciding not to become part of
Australia.
• In 1907 it became the Dominion of New Zealand.
• While New Zealand fought with Britain in the First World
War, it was able to make its own decisions about how to
contribute to the war effort.
5. • In 1948 New Zealanders became New Zealand
citizens – before that they had been British citizens.
New Zealand gained full legal independence when
Parliament passed the Constitution Act in 1986. In
2003 a new Supreme Court was created.
•In the early 2000s Queen
Elizabeth II was still the official
head of state, leading some
people to argue that New
Zealand should gain full
independence by becoming a
republic.
6. • In 1948 New Zealanders became New Zealand
citizens – before that they had been British citizens.
New Zealand gained full legal independence when
Parliament passed the Constitution Act in 1986. In
2003 a new Supreme Court was created.
•In the early 2000s Queen
Elizabeth II was still the official
head of state, leading some
people to argue that New
Zealand should gain full
independence by becoming a
republic.
