A TIMELINE OF NEW ZEALAND
By Tim Lambert
10th Century The Maoris arrive in New Zealand
1642 Abel Tasman arrives at New Zealand
1769 Captain Cook arrives in New Zealand
1773 Captain Cook sails to New Zealand again
1777 Captain Cook arrives in New Zealand again
1792 Sealers arrive in New Zealand
1814 Missionary Samuel Marsden arrives in New Zealand
1817 The laws of New South Wales are extended to New Zealand
1833 James Busby is sent to New Zealand as 'official British resident'
1838 Roman Catholic missionaries arrive in New Zealand
1840 The Maori accept annexation by the Treaty of Waitangi. Auckland is made the capital of New Zealand
1844 Chief Hone keke cuts down the British flag and begins a 2 year war
1848 Dunedin is founded
1850 Christchurch is founded
1852 New Zealand is divided into 6 provinces
1838 New Zealand is given self-government
1860-72 A long war is fought with the Maoris
1861 The population of New Zealand is almost 100,000
1865 Wellington is made the capital of New Zealand
1877 All men in New Zealand are given the vote. State education is introduced in New Zealand.
1881 The population of New Zealand is nearly 500,000
1882 A refrigerated ship takes meat from New Zealand to Britain
1893 Women in New Zealand are allowed to vote
1898 Old age pensions are created
1907 New Zealand is made a dominion
1914-1918 17,000 men from New Zealand are killed in the First World War
1933 Unemployment in New Zealand is 12%
1947 New Zealand becomes completely independent from Britain
1951 New Zealand joins the Anzus Defence Pact
1975 The Treaty of Waitangi Act is passed
1983 The Closer Economic Relations Pact is signed with Australia
1984 A Labour government is elected and begin to roll back the welfare state
1993 Proportional representation is introduced in New Zealand
1997 Jenny Shipley becomes the first woman Prime Minister
2011 Christchurch is devastated by an earthquake