Archives New Zealand is in the process of putting the military records of everyone who served in World War I online. The first MMP government was formed by National and NZ First. The political party or coalition of parties that commands a majority in the House forms the government. Early Māori explorers. Military history, records and medals. All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. Meet the NZHistory.net.nz team It took six weeks to negotiate and was a … Read the full article Crown colony. New Zealand has three branches of government, the first of which is the executive. But settlers wanted to elect their representatives, as they had done in Britain. New Zealand is divided into two provinces, New Ulster and New Munster. New Zealand's government built "castaway depots" on islands to provide future shipwreck survivors with food, shelter, and supplies. Between 1840 and 1854, a Governor (representing Queen Victoria) ruled New Zealand. All text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence. Some of New Zealand's coins feature characters from The Hobbit. Colonial government, 1840–1854. New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote in 1893. Legislative power is vested in the single-chamber House of Representatives (Parliament), the members of which are elected for three-year terms. Māori values and practices — in contact with Europeans. Māori history Polynesian explorers and exploration of New Zealand. Māori culture and heritage. Māori history in brief. In 1840, when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, New Zealand became a colony of Britain. Politics and parliamentary history over 150 years — read about vital changes that have affected us all. Branches of Government in New Zealand . New Zealand's Parliament dates back to 1854, just 14 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the beginning of the European settlement of the country. Search the records and medals of New Zealanders at war and get sources for doing your own military research. Māori became one of NZ's 3 official languages in 1987. Unlike most countries, New Zealand has no written constitution. This branch is headed by Queen Elizabeth II who serves as the chief of state but is represented by a governor general. At first it was a Crown colony, which meant it was ruled by a governor appointed by Britain – but European settlers wanted their own government. This site is produced by the History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. New Zealand has a constitutional monarchy system of government, and the chief of state is Queen Elizabeth II. Pre-European society. Six (eventually 10) provinces are created, with elected superintendents and councils. It's a taonga (treasure) that our government works to protect. European settlement. The model of local government introduced after New Zealand became a British colony in 1840 had nothing in common with the tribal system practised by Māori. Māori culture is a big part of NZ’s identity, so respecting, preserving and promoting it is vital. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. For most of its history as a nation state, New Zealand has had some form of elected government. Get a copy of a WW1 service record. A history of New Zealand's MMP governments. The arrival of Europeans. 1852 The New Zealand Constitution Act (UK) establishes a system of representative government for New Zealand. New Zealand - New Zealand - Government and society: New Zealand has a parliamentary form of government based on the British model. Abel Tasman’s arrival in 1642 is the first firm evidence of Europeans reaching New Zealand. One of NZ 's 3 official languages in 1987 as the chief of state is Queen Elizabeth who... 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