It’s New Zealand’s Anniversary
The Treaty of Waitangi between the Maori & British was first signed in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840.
The Treaty remains regarded as New Zealand’s foundation as a nation and is revered by the Maori as a guarantee of their rights.
Did you know this about New Zealand?
From 1912 to 1925 the Prime Minister of New Zealand was William Ferguson Massey (often known simply as Bill Massey or “Farmer Bill”) and was widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular support he showed towards rural interests. But, here’s the kicker, he was a strong proponent of the Israel Truth and unlike politicians of today, he was vocal in his support.
New Zealand is one of the most recently settled major landmasses. The first settlers were Eastern Polynesians who arrived, probably in a series of migrations, sometime between around 700 and 2000 years ago. The first Europeans known to have reached New Zealand were Dutch and many were killed by the natives, known then as Maori. No Europeans returned until British explorer James Cook’s voyage of 1768–71. Cook reached New Zealand in 1769 and mapped almost the entire coastline. Following Cook, New Zealand was visited by numerous European and North American whaling, sealing and trading ships. Becoming aware of the lawless nature of European settlement and of increasing French interest in the territory, the British government sent William Hobson to New Zealand to claim sovereignty and negotiate a treaty with the Maori called the Treaty of Waitangi (see front cover)
In 1893 the country became the first nation in the world
to grant women the right to vote.
The first European name for New Zealand was Staten Landt, the name given to it by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European to see the islands. Tasman assumed it was part of a southern continent connected with land discovered in 1615 off the southern tip of South America by Jacob Le Maire, which had been named Staten Landt, meaning “Land of the (Dutch) States-General”. The name New Zealand originated with Dutch cartographers, who called the islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. No one is certain exactly who first coined the term, but it first appeared in 1645 and may have been the choice of cartographer Johan Blaeu. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand.
And there is so much more to learn about this youngest Dominion of True Israel. It is a fascinating nation of courageous people.
We invite you to reflect on these words of the last verse of the New Zealand National Anthem:
May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our Free Land.
Guide her in the nations’ van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.
