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Jan 1, 1300
CE, first Polynesians
The most current reliable evidence strongly indicates that initial settlement of New Zealand occurred around 1280 CE at the end of the medieval warm period. Previous dating of some Kiore (Polynesian rat) bones at 50–150 CE has now been shown to have been unreliable; new samples of bone (and now also of unequivocally rat-gnawed woody seed cases) match the 1280 date of the earliest archaeological sites and the beginning of sustained deforestation by humans. -
Period: Jan 1, 1300 to
Timeline time span: from early settlements to late 19th C New Zealand
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Jan 1, 1460
Cooling of the climate
The cooling of the climate, confirmed by a detailed tree ring study near Hokitika, shows a significant, sudden and long-lasting cooler period from 1500. This coincided with a series of massive earthquakes in the South Island Alpine fault, a major earthquake in 1460 in the Wellington area,[28] tsunamis that destroyed many coastal settlements, and the extinction of the moa and other food species. These were likely factors that led to sweeping changes to the Māori culture, which developed into the -
Jan 1, 1500
Maori internal migrations
Around 1500 CE a group of Māori migrated east to the Chatham Islands, where, by adapting to the local climate and the availability of resources, they developed a culture known as the "Moriori" – related to but distinct from Māori culture in mainland New Zealand. A notable feature of the Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism, proved disastrous when a party of invading North Taranaki Māori arrived in 1835. Few of the estimated Moriori population of 2,000 survived. -
first European explorer sights New Zealand
The first European explorer to sight New Zealand was Abel Janszoon Tasman on 13 December 1642. -
Captain Cook reaches NZ
Captain CookIn October 1769, Captain James Cook reached New Zealand on the first of his three voyages. He was the first European explorer to circumnavigate and map New Zealand. He claims parts of the country in the name of King George III. -
first French explorer
Jean-François-Marie de Surville Finally, at 11:30am on 12th December 1769, the "St Jean Baptiste" sighted the coastline of New Zealand, just south of Hokianga Harbour. The ship continued sailing north, looking for a safe anchorage spot. Weather conditions were bad. On the 13th December de Surville rounded Cape Marie Van Diemen. -
second French explorer
Jean-François-Marie de SurvilleFrench explorer Marc-Joseph-Marion du Fresne casts anchor at Spirit's Bay. -
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Tiriti o Waitangi) is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand.
The Treaty established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognised Māori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave the Māori the rights of British subjects. The English and Māori versions of the Treaty differed significantly, so there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed to. -
Native Lands Acts and Court, 1862, 1865
Native Land CourtThe Native Land Acts of 1862 and 1865 established the Native Land Court, which had the purpose of transferring Māori land from communal ownership into individual title. Māori land under individual title became available to be sold to the colonial government or to settlers in private sales. Between 1840 and 1890 Māori sold 95 percent of their land (63,000,000 of 66,000,000 acres (270,000 km2) in 1890). In total 4% of this was confiscated land, although about a quarter of this was returned. 300,00 -
Zeelandia Nova on maps and globes
Part of New Zealand's coastline appears with the name "Zeelandia Nova" on printed world and Pacific charts and globes.
