Nz History
Mapuna Ka Whawhai Tonu
Michael Jonathan has directed the major motion picture, Ka Whawhai Tonu, about the Battle of Orakau in 1864. The film features direct descendants of Maori who fought at Orakau and a promising young… Audio
'Undefeated men in a defeated army' Cretan historian on the Maori Battalion
For Anzac Day Māpuna takes a look back at a special episode from 2023 when producer Tama Muru visited the Greek island of Crete to delve into the history of the battle in 1941 which pitted New… Audio
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 2
From the 1840s onward, Frederick Maning would become an increasingly bitter and angry man who demonised Māori who opposed colonisation. So what explains this radical transition from a romantic early… Audio
Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning - Part 1
Frederick Maning was one of the first Europeans to settle in Aotearoa, he married a high-ranking Ngāpuhi woman, and wrote two books filled with romantic anecdotes of his time living alongside Māori… Audio
Season 2 Ep 11: Number 8 Wire
New Zealanders like to think we have a “Number 8 Wire Mentality” - a rough and ready enthusiasm for fixing and building stuff with limited resources. Video, Audio
Iwi in residence: Whanganui museum trials revolving curatorial role
Hapū and iwi of the Whanganui region will each have a curator-in-residence under a concept being explored by the Whanganui Regional Museum.
NZ Screen History: A Dog's Show
Every Sunday at 6pm from 1977 huge numbers of New Zealanders would be glued to the television to watch A Dog's Show. Jesse talks to presenter John Gordon. Audio
Fears over plan to close archives early
A historian is concerned that drastic reductions in archive opening hours will make it harder for iwi to conduct crucial research.
From March 2nd, the reading room hours at Archives New Zealand will… Audio
Honest Murderer: the story of John Bryce
Pākehā settlers in Taranaki knew John Bryce as "Honest John" but Taranaki Māori called him "Bryce Kōhuru" - Bryce the Murderer. In this episode of Black Sheep William Ray investigates the life of the… Audio
Pakeha Maori: the story of Kimble Bent
Kimble Bent was one of a tiny handful of Europeans who switched sides during the New Zealand Wars, who deserted the British army to join Maori "rebels" in Taranaki. RNZ's Black Sheep podcast tells the… Audio
Pirate Mystery: the story of Charlotte Badger
Charlotte Badger was one of the first European women to live in New Zealand. She was also a pirate... or at least that's the traditional story. In this special episode of Black Sheep, recorded live at… Audio
Former PMs call for more NZ history in schools
Two former prime ministers are urging schools to teach more New Zealand history, with one, former National Party leader Jim Bolger, warning that ignorance of the past is behind the rise of racism. Audio
Anne Salmond: Tears of Rangi
Professor Dame Anne Salmond is New Zealand's foremost anthropologist. Her most recent book - Tears of Rangi: Experiments Across Worlds revisits some of those historical encounters but also looks at… Audio
Happy 50th to NZ's 'under-nourished Land Rover' - the Trekka
Fifty years ago today the country's first and only mass-produced motor vehicle was rolled out. Todd Niall recounts the Trekka's short but compelling history.
Graverobber: the story of Andreas Reischek
In the 1880s Austrian naturalist and ethnographer Andreas Reischek stole four mummified Maori corpses and secretly smuggled them out of the country so they could be displayed at a museum in Vienna. He… Audio
Eugenics: the story of a really bad idea
Did you know that after the First World War New Zealand established an official eugenics board? We tend to think of eugenics as being something the Nazis invented but really it was embraced all around… Audio
Warrior chief: the story of Hongi Hika
Hongi Hika is a man with a difficult legacy. He's one of the greatest figures in New Zealand history, but he's also often held responsible for starting the Musket Wars. Audio
Faith fraud: the story of Arthur Worthington
Arthur Worthington was a con artist who travelled the USA, marrying rich women then abandoning them and stealing all their money. Eventually with private detectives hot on his tail in 1890 he jumped… Audio
Bad Cop: the story of John Cullen
In 1916 John Cullen led a small army of police deep into the misty forests of Te Urewera to arrest the Tuhoe prophet Rua Kenana - his crime? Preaching that his followers shouldn't sign up to fight in… Audio
Bad cop: the story of John Cullen
In 1916 John Cullen led a small army of police deep into the misty forests of Te Urewera to arrest the Tuhoe prophet Rua Kenana - his crime? Preaching that his followers shouldn't sign up to fight in… Audio