95-503: New Zealanders of European descent are mostly of British and Irish ancestry, with significantly smaller percentages of other European ancestries such as Germans , Poles , French , Dutch , Croats and other South Slavs , Greeks , and Scandinavians . European New Zealanders are also known by the Māori-language loanword Pākehā . Statistics New Zealand maintains the national classification standard for ethnicity. European
190-524: A staple drink across the world, was first invented in Invercargill in 1890 by food chemist David Strang. Katherine Sheppard , a suffragette , is regarded as the mother of the modern women's suffrage movement. Her efforts within the Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand led to New Zealand becoming the first nation in the world to enact universal suffrage . Sexologist John Money , recognised today as
285-469: A 10-year period, reported recent racist experiences were highest among Asian participants followed by Māori and Pacific peoples, with Europeans reporting the lowest experience of racism. New Zealand culture is essentially a Western culture influenced by the unique environment and geographic isolation of the islands, and the cultural input of the Māori and the various waves of multiethnic migration which followed
380-561: A bilateral agreement for skilled migrants with the Netherlands, and a large number of Dutch immigrants arrived in New Zealand. Others came in the 1950s from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria to meet needs in specialised occupations. By the 1960s, the policy of excluding people based on nationality yielded a population overwhelmingly European in origin. By the mid-1960s, a desire for cheap unskilled labour led to ethnic diversification. In
475-456: A broader "European" ethnic grouping predominates political discourse in New Zealand today, the vast majority of European New Zealanders are of full or partial British ancestry, and some continue to self-identity as such. Others see the term as better describing previous generations; for instance, journalist Colin James referred to "we ex-British New Zealanders" in a 2005 speech. Nonetheless, it remains
570-693: A contentious figure for his experiments regarding children and the David Reimer case , was a pioneer of modern gender identity studies. Money's theory that gender is learnt has become outdated and even condemned, although his terms gender role and sexual orientation remain common in modern parlance. He also established the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic, the first clinic in the United States to perform sexual reassignment surgeries. Surgeon and otolaryngologist Harold Gillies
665-465: A cultural influence on a global scale, through film , language , te ao Māori , art , science , music and technology, and founded the modern women's suffrage and anti-nuclear movements. Technological and scientific achievements of New Zealanders stem back as far as Kupe and the earliest Polynesian navigators , who used sophisticated astral methods that helped laid the groundwork for both navigation and modern astronomy . Modern trench warfare
760-510: A distinct response to the ethnicity question and their placement of it within the "Other" ethnic category, along with an email campaign asking people to give it as their ethnicity in the 2006 Census. In previous censuses, these responses were counted belonging to the European New Zealanders group, and Statistics New Zealand plans to return to this approach for the 2011 Census. Eleven percent of respondents identified as New Zealanders in
855-596: A fifth of all Māori, representing 3% of the total population. Many New Zealanders regularly use Māori words and expressions, such as " kia ora ", while speaking English. Māori are active in all spheres of New Zealand culture and society, with independent representation in areas such as media, politics and sport. Most European New Zealanders have British and/or Irish ancestry, with smaller percentages of other European ancestries such as Germans , Poles (historically noted as "Germans" due to Partitions of Poland ), French , Dutch , Scandinavian and South Slavs . In 1961,
950-513: A gold rush in Otago. By 1860 more than 100,000 British and Irish settlers lived throughout New Zealand. The Otago Association actively recruited settlers from Scotland, creating a definite Scottish influence in that region, while the Canterbury Association recruited settlers from the south of England, creating a definite English influence over that region. In the 1860s most migrants settled in
1045-402: A long time, invisible while Māori lived in rural communities. When Māori and Pākehā (Europeans) began living in closer proximity, the belief that the country had "the best race relations in the world" was tested. The first Race Relations Concilitator was appointed in 1971 to help combat racial discrimination among New Zealanders. Agitation regarding Treaty of Waitangi violations intensified in
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#17328510221241140-650: A nation. In response to attempts by the New Zealand Company to establish a separate colony in Wellington, and mindful of French claims in Akaroa , Hobson, appointed as Lieutenant-Governor on 14 January 1840, declared British sovereignty over all of New Zealand on 21 May 1840. He published two proclamations published in the New Zealand Advertiser and Bay Of Islands Gazette issue of 19 June 1840. One "assert[s] on
1235-432: A nationwide rail system, lighthouses, ports and bridges, and encouraged mass migration from Britain. By 1870 the non-Māori population reached over 250,000. Other smaller groups of settlers came from Germany, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe as well as from China and India, but British and Irish settlers made up the vast majority, and did so for the next 150 years. There were 3,383,742 people identifying as being part of
1330-504: A number of emigrant voyages to New Zealand. She had two serious collisions with icebergs in the North Atlantic, the second of which caused her loss. Gananoque was built at Lauzon, Quebec in 1857 by George T Davie & Sons and sold the following year to Thomas Bailey of Newcastle upon Tyne . In May 1858 he sold a one-eighth share in the ship to Archibald Morris who became her commander. She made four voyages to New Zealand in
1425-629: A plaque in the reception hall in February 1977. The Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon , formally opened the building in May 1977. The government moved into the upper floors in 1979. The annex facing Museum Street was completed in 1981. In July 2015, Heritage New Zealand declared the Beehive "of outstanding heritage significance for its central role in the governance of New Zealand". Many of the more imposing structures in and around Dunedin and Christchurch were built in
1520-569: A relatively uncontroversial descriptor of ethnic origin amongst the wider population. As the earliest colonists of New Zealand, settlers from England and their descendants often held positions of power and made or helped make laws often because many had been involved in government back in England. The lineage of most of the national founders of New Zealand was British (especially English) such as: Various other founders of New Zealand have also been unofficially recognised: The culture of New Zealand
1615-492: A third ethnicity), due to a high rate of intermarriage between the two cultures. Under the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1974, a Māori is defined as "a person of the Māori race of New Zealand; and includes any descendant of such a person", replacing an earlier legal application based on an arbitrarily defined "degree of Maori [ sic ] blood". According to the 2006 census, the largest iwi by population
1710-493: A voyage from Belfast to Miramichi and sank quickly. The crew landed on Bird Rocks, and were picked up from there on 12 May. The first voyage to New Zealand resulted in a High Court of Admiralty case "The Gananoque" , a dispute between the ship's captain Archibald Morris and the other owners over contract payment terms. The judgement was "The law will presume that the terms of a master's engagement for one voyage extent to
1805-442: A voyage from Quebec to Newcastle, she struck an iceberg off Cape Race. Crew abandoned ship and all but one were rescued. However, the ship did not sink, was found abandoned and taken derelict to St John's, Newfoundland, She was subsequently repaired, re-sheathed and re-rigged as a barque , and was offered for sale in 1876. Gananoque again collided with an iceberg on 10 May 1881 four miles off Bird Rocks, Magdalen Islands on
1900-514: Is Ngāpuhi (125,601), followed by Ngāti Porou (71,049), Ngāi Tahu (54,819) and Waikato (40,083). However, over 110,000 people of Māori descent in the 2013 census could not identify their iwi. Outside of New Zealand, a large Māori population exists in Australia, estimated at 155,000 in 2011. The Māori Party has suggested a special seat should be created in the New Zealand parliament representing Māori in Australia. Smaller communities also exist in
1995-548: Is also a significant diaspora , estimated at around 750,000. Of these, about 640,800 lived in Australia (a June 2013 estimate ), which was equivalent to 12% of the resident population of New Zealand. Other communities of New Zealanders abroad are heavily concentrated in other English-speaking countries , specifically the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, with smaller numbers located elsewhere. New Zealanders have had
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#17328510221242090-613: Is essentially a Western culture influenced by the unique geography of New Zealand, the diverse input of Māori and other Pacific people , the British colonisation of New Zealand that began in 1840, and the various waves of multi-ethnic migration that followed. Evidence of a significant Anglo-Celtic heritage includes the predominance of the English language , the common law , the Westminster system of government, Christianity ( Anglicanism ) as
2185-555: Is located, commonly New Zealand kitsch and symbols from marketing such as the Chesdale Cheese men are used as signifiers, and might more appropriately be called " Kiwiana ". New Zealand English is one of New Zealand's official languages and is the primary language of a majority of the population . New Zealand English began to diverge from British English after the English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during
2280-436: Is often argued to have originated in New Zealand among Māori in the 19th century. New Zealanders also pioneered nuclear physics ( Ernest Rutherford ), the women's suffrage movement ( Kate Sheppard ), modern Western conceptions of gender identity ( John Money ) and plastic surgery ( Harold Gillies ). New Zealand culture is essentially a Western culture influenced by the unique environment and geographic isolation of
2375-621: Is one of the six top-level ethnic groups, alongside Māori , Pacific ( Pasifika ), Asian , Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (MELAA), and Other. Within the top-level European group are two second-level ethnic groups, New Zealand European and Other European . New Zealand European consists of New Zealanders of European descent, while Other European consists of migrant European ethnic groups. Other Europeans also includes some people of indirect European descent, including Americans , Canadians , South Africans and Australians . According to
2470-619: Is regarded as the father of modern plastic surgery , which he pioneered on soldiers physically dismembered beyond regular care during the First World War . English ( New Zealand English ) is the dominant language spoken by New Zealanders, and a de facto official language of New Zealand. According to the 2013 New Zealand census , 96.1% of New Zealanders spoke English. The country's de jure official languages are Māori (Te Reo) and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). Other languages are also used by ethnic communities. Just under half of
2565-608: Is said to be the mother of Zealandia. As a rhetorical evocation of a New Zealand national identity, Zealandia appeared on postage stamps , posters, cartoons, war memorials , and New Zealand government publications most commonly during the first half of the 20th century. The personification was a commonly used symbol of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition , which was held in Wellington in 1939 and 1940. Two large Zealandia statues serve as war memorials that honour
2660-511: The 2018 New Zealand census , 3,372,708 people (70.2%) identified as European, with 3,013,440 people (64%) identifying as New Zealand European. British Captain James Cook sailed to New Zealand in 1769. Prior to him was Dutchman Abel Tasman in 1642. The establishment of British colonies in Australia from 1788 and the boom in whaling and sealing in the Southern Ocean brought many Europeans to
2755-812: The Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings and Otago Boys' High School . There are many places in New Zealand named after people and places in Europe, especially the United Kingdom , the Republic of Ireland , and the Netherlands as a result of the many English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Dutch and other European settlers and explorers . These include the name "New Zealand" itself, as described below, along with several notable cities and regions: Small pockets of settlers from other European countries add to
2850-474: The New Zealand Parliament passed legislation that intended to limit Asiatic migration to New Zealand, and prevented Asians from naturalising. In particular, the New Zealand government levied a poll tax on Chinese immigrants up until the 1930s, when Japan went to war with China. New Zealand finally abolished the poll tax in 1944. An influx of Jewish refugees from central Europe came in the 1930s. Many of
2945-546: The New Zealand census since 1851 . One of the many complications in interpreting religious affiliation data in New Zealand is the large proportion who object to answering the question, roughly 173,000 in 2013. Most reporting of percentages is based on the total number of responses, rather than the total population. Gananoque (ship) Gananoque was a wood-hulled clipper ship of 785 tons, built in Quebec in 1857, that made
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3040-467: The Society Islands . After a pause of 70 to 265 years, a new wave of exploration led to the discovery and settlement of New Zealand in about AD 1250–1300, making New Zealand one of the most recently settled major landmasses. Some researchers have suggested an earlier wave of arrivals dating to as early as AD 50–150; these people then either died out or left the islands. Over the following centuries
3135-770: The Tasman district and the Grey district (both 90.7%). Europeans are a minority in three districts: the Auckland region (49.8%), Ōpōtiki district (49.7%), and Wairoa district (46.9%). Within Auckland, ten of the 21 local board areas have a minority European population: Ōtara-Papatoetoe (14.6%), Māngere-Ōtāhuhu (18.4%), Manurewa (24.5%), Puketāpapa (32.1%), Papakura (36.7%), Whau (37.6%), Howick (38.1%), Maungakiekie-Tāmaki (42.2%), Henderson-Massey (43.6%), and Upper Harbour (49.1%). The first general Census of New Zealand population
3230-411: The haka . A tradition of resourcefulness came from the pioneering backgrounds of both Māori and non-Māori. Zealandia is a national personification of New Zealand and New Zealanders. In her stereotypical form, Zealandia appears as a woman of European descent who is dressed in flowing robes (or gown). She is similar in dress and appearance to Britannia (the female personification of Britain), who
3325-641: The modern age . Polynesians made contact with nearly every island within the vast Polynesian Triangle , inventing the catamaran and conceiving some of the most complex astronomy in the world to help navigate the Pacific. The continuance of this knowledge after the immediate settlement of New Zealand is evident in the non-tangible 360° compass developed and used by Māori long before European settlement. Māori compasses were divided into 32 different whare , or houses, between north, south, east, and west. This helped navigators memorise upwards of 200 stars. Memorisation
3420-553: The 1840s to withstand British artillery bombardments. These systems included firing trenches, communication trenches, tunnels , and anti-artillery bunkers. The Ngāpuhi pā Ruapekapeka is often considered to be the most technologically impressive by historians, and was described in 2017 as "one of the most sophisticated military installations" the British Empire had ever tackled, by broadcaster Mihingarangi Forbes for RNZ . There has been an academic debate surrounding this since
3515-404: The 1860s under contract to the provincial governments. The ship was first chartered by Willis, Gann & Company for a voyage from London to New Zealand in 1860 and then for three more by Shaw, Savill and Company . The first three carried government immigrants ; the fourth voyage was solely with cargo: In 1867 Gananoque was sold to William Johnson of Newcastle upon Tyne. On 11 July 1874, on
3610-451: The 1916 Census. The 2006 Census counted 2,609,592 European New Zealanders. Most census reports do not separate European New Zealanders from the broader European ethnic category, which was the largest broad ethnic category in the 2006 Census. Europeans comprised 67.6 percent of respondents in 2006 compared with 80.1 percent in the 2001 census. The apparent drop in this figure was due to Statistics New Zealand's acceptance of 'New Zealander' as
3705-468: The 1950s it was common for New Zealanders to refer to themselves as British, such as when Prime Minister Keith Holyoake described Sir Edmund Hillary 's successful ascent of Mount Everest as "[putting] the British race and New Zealand on top of the world". New Zealand passports described nationals as "British Subject and New Zealand Citizen" until 1974, when this was changed to "New Zealand Citizen". While
3800-453: The 1960s and 1970s Māoridom underwent a cultural revival. The Māori population has seen stability in the 21st century. In the 2013 Census, 598,602 people identified as being part of the Māori ethnic group, accounting for 14.9% of the New Zealand population, while 668,724 people (17.5%) claimed Māori descent. 278,199 people identified as of sole Māori ethnicity, while 291,015 identified as of both European and Māori ethnicity (with or without
3895-489: The 1970s. The Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975 to consider alleged breaches, and in 1984 was empowered to look back to 1840. In general, New Zealanders of European descent consider themselves to be mostly free of racial prejudice, perceiving the country to be a more inclusive society, a notion that has been challenged especially by members of ethnic minority groups. According to research published in 2018, which analysed New Zealand adults' reported experience of racism over
European New Zealanders - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-512: The 1980s, when in his book The New Zealand Wars, historian James Belich claimed that Northern Māori had effectively invented trench warfare during the first stages of the New Zealand Wars. However, given that trenches of some form or another have always been present in human warfare, this conclusion has been contentious and criticised by other historians. New Zealanders in the modern era have been prolific innovators. Instant coffee , today
4085-757: The 19th century. The earliest form of New Zealand English was first spoken by the children of the colonists born into the Colony of New Zealand . These children were exposed to a great variety of mutually intelligible dialectal regions of the British Isles . This first generation of children created a new dialect from the speech they heard around them that quickly developed into a distinct variety of English. New Zealand English blunted new settlers' patterns of speech into it. New Zealand English differs from other varieties of English in vocabulary , accent , pronunciation , register , grammar and spelling . Other than English,
4180-462: The 2006 Census (or as something similar, e.g. "Kiwi"), well above the trend observed in previous censuses, and higher than the percentage seen in other surveys that year. In April 2009, Statistics New Zealand announced a review of their official ethnicity standard, citing this debate as a reason, and a draft report was released for public comment. In response, the New Zealand Herald opined that
4275-410: The 2013 Census, Asian ancestries total was 11.8% of the population, Chinese remained the largest Asian ethnic group in 2013, with 171,411 people while Indian was the second-largest Asian ethnic group in 2013, with 155,178 with Filipino a distant third with 40,350 people. The Asian component actually predates the Pacific component. There had been people of Asian ethnicity living in New Zealand from
4370-561: The 2018 census, there were 1,614,807 males and 1,683,054 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.959 males per female. In terms of population distribution, 2,401,983 (71.0%) Europeans at the 2023 census lived in the North Island and 981,279 (29.0%) lived in the South Island . The Waimakariri district had the highest concentration of Europeans at 92.1%, followed by the Carterton district (91.2%),
4465-469: The British colonisation of New Zealand. British settlers brought a legal, political, and economic system that has flourished, along with the British system of agriculture that has transformed the landscape. The development of a New Zealand identity and national character, separate from the British colonial identity, is most often linked with the period surrounding the First World War, which gave rise to
4560-677: The Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman and his crew in 1642. Māori killed several of the crew, and no more Europeans went to New Zealand 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 , exploring and trading ships. They traded European food and goods, especially metal tools and weapons, for Māori timber, food, artefacts and water. On occasion, Europeans and Māori traded goods for sex. Some early European arrivals integrated closely with
4655-531: The European ethnic group at the 2023 New Zealand census , making up 67.8% of New Zealand's population. This is an increase of 85,878 people (2.6%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 414,351 people (14.0%) since the 2013 census . The median age was 41.7 years, compared with 38.1 years for New Zealand as a whole. 604,404 people (17.9%) were aged under 15 years, 612,864 (18.1%) were 15 to 29, 1,477,293 (43.7%) were 30 to 64, and 689,187 (20.4%) were 65 or older. At
4750-646: The Middle East, most recently from Somalia. While there had been previous settlers from the Middle East, such as Syrians, people from Equatorial Africa have been very few in the past. In 2013, 67,752 people or 1.7% self-identified with one or more ethnicities other than European, Māori, Pacific, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African. The vast majority of these people, 65,973 people, identified only as 'New Zealander'. After 1840, many issues to do with sovereignty and land ownership remained unresolved and, for
4845-518: The Polynesian settlers developed into a distinct culture now known as Māori . The population was divided into iwi (tribes) and hapū (subtribes) which would cooperate, compete and sometimes fight with each other. At some point a group of Māori migrated to the Chatham Islands where they developed their distinct Moriori culture. Due to New Zealand's geographic isolation, 500 years passed before
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#17328510221244940-605: The South Island due to gold discoveries and the availability of flat grass-covered land for pastoral farming. The low number of Māori (about 2,000) and the absence of warfare gave the South Island many advantages. It was only when the New Zealand wars ended that the North Island again became an attractive destination. In the 1870s the MP Julius Vogel borrowed millions of pounds from Britain to help fund capital development such as
5035-430: The United Kingdom (approx. 8,000), the United States (up to 3,500) and Canada (approx. 1,000). The most common region this group lived in was Auckland Region (23.9 percent or 142,770 people). They are the second-largest ethnic group in New Zealand, after European New Zealanders. In addition, more than 120,000 Māori live in Australia. The Māori language (known as Te Reo Māori ) is still spoken to some extent by about
5130-547: The ancestors of David Lange were Germans, some of the ancestors of Julius Vogel and Francis Bell were European Jews, and some of John Key's ancestors were Jewish Austrian migrants (his mother's side). New Zealanders New Zealanders ( Māori : Tāngata Aotearoa ) are people associated with New Zealand , sharing a common history , culture , and language ( New Zealand English ). People of various ethnicities and national origins are citizens of New Zealand, governed by its nationality law . Originally composed solely of
5225-437: The boom times stopped, some blamed the migrants for the economic downturn affecting the country, and many of those people suffered dawn raids from 1974. This component was 1.2% of the total population in the 2013 census. The Latin American ethnic group almost doubled in size between the 2006 and 2013 censuses, increasing from 6,654 people to 13,182. A more recent component comprises refugees and other settlers from Africa and
5320-577: The casualties of the Second Boer War : one is in Waimate and the other is in Palmerston . Some smaller statues exist in museums and in private hands. The female figure who appears on the left side of the national coat of arms has been identified as Zealandia (in a "cut down nightie"). Māori, and other Polynesians, have been credited by many historians as being the world's foremost navigators prior to
5415-453: The census showed that 91.8% of New Zealanders self-identified as being of European descent, down from 95% in 1926. The Māori-language loanword Pākehā came into use to refer to European New Zealanders, although some European New Zealanders reject this appellation. Twenty-first century New Zealanders increasingly use the word "Pākehā" to refer to all non-Polynesian New Zealanders. The first Europeans known to have reached New Zealand were
5510-586: The clipper Gananoque and the Glentanner carried immigrants to New Zealand. Typically clipper ships left British ports such as London and travelled south through the central Atlantic to about 43 degrees south to pick up the strong westerly winds that carried the clippers well south of South Africa and Australia. Ships would then head north once in the vicinity of New Zealand. The Glentanner migrant ship of 610 tonnes made two runs to New Zealand and several to Australia carrying 400 tonne of passengers and cargo. Travel time
5605-618: The concept of distinct European New Zealander practices and imaginations in his books: Being Pākehā (1985) and Being Pākehā Now (1999), and the edited collection, Pakeha: The Quest for Identity in New Zealand (1991), conceptualising Pākehā as New Zealand's "second indigenous" culture. By contrast, Māori art historian Jonathan Mane-Wheoki described Pākehā as "the people who define themselves by what they are not. Who want to forget their origins, their history, their cultural inheritance – who want Maori, likewise, to deny their origins so that we can all start off afresh." Where Pākehā identity
5700-673: The concept of the Anzac spirit . However, cultural links between New Zealand and Great Britain are maintained by a common language, sustained immigration from the UK, and the fact that many young New Zealanders spend time in Britain on " overseas experience ", known as "OE". New Zealanders also identify closely with Australians , as a result of the two nations' shared historical, cultural and geographic characteristics. The New Zealand government promotes Māori culture by supporting Māori-language schools, by ensuring
5795-460: The decision to leave the question unchanged in 2011 and rely on public information efforts was "rather too hopeful", and advocated a return to something like the 1986 approach. This asked people which of several identities "apply to you", instead of the more recent question "What ethnic group do you belong to?" The term Pākehā (or Pakeha ), the etymology of which is unclear, is used interchangeably with European New Zealanders . The 1996 census used
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#17328510221245890-404: The early days of European settlement, albeit in very small numbers. During the period of gold rushes later in the nineteenth century the number of Chinese temporary settlers both from China and from Australia and America increased sharply. This was an interlude in many respects, though there was a small population which remained and settled permanently. However, a century later in the 1980s and 1990s
5985-411: The ethnic makeup of the New Zealand population is undergoing a process of change, with new waves of immigration , higher birth rates and increasing interracial marriage resulting in the New Zealand population of Māori, Asian , Pasifika and multiracial descent growing at a higher rate than those of solely European descent, with such groups projected to make up a larger proportion of the population in
6080-679: The former Yugoslavia . New Zealand limited immigration to those who would meet a labour shortage in New Zealand. To encourage those to come, the Government introduced free and assisted passages in 1947, a schema expanded by the First National Government in 1950. However, when it became clear that not enough skilled migrants would come from the British Isles alone, recruitment began in Northern European countries. New Zealand signed
6175-493: The future. New Zealand has an estimated resident population of around 5,338,500 (as of June 2024). Over one million New Zealanders recorded in the 2013 New Zealand census were born overseas, and by 2021 over a quarter of New Zealanders are estimated to be foreign born. Rapidly increasing ethnic groups vary from being well-established, such as Indians and Chinese , to nascent ones such as African New Zealanders . While most New Zealanders are resident in New Zealand, there
6270-578: The grounds of Discovery, the Sovereign Rights of Her Majesty over the Southern Islands of New Zealand, commonly called 'The Middle Island' ( South Island ) and 'Stewart's Island' ( Stewart Island / Rakiura ); and the Island, commonly called 'The Northern Island', having been ceded Sovereignty to Her Majesty". The second proclamation expanded on how sovereignty over the "Northern Island" had been ceded under
6365-487: The identity and place names of specific New Zealand regions, most notably the Scandinavian-inspired place names of Dannevirke and Norsewood in southern Hawke's Bay . All of the ancestors of the 42 prime ministers of New Zealand were European and Anglo-Celtic ( English , Scottish , Northern Irish , Welsh , or Irish ). Some ancestors of three prime ministers did not originate from Britain or Ireland: some of
6460-468: The indigenous Māori , the ethnic makeup of the population has been dominated since the 19th century by New Zealanders of European descent , mainly of English , Scottish , Welsh and Irish ancestry, with smaller percentages of other European and Middle Eastern ancestries such as Greek , Turkish , Italian and other groups such as Arab , German , Dutch , Scandinavian , South Slavic and Jewish , with Western European groups predominating. Today,
6555-570: The indigenous Māori people and became known as Pākehā Māori . James Belich characterises many of the very early European settlers as forerunners of a " crew culture" – as distinct from the majority of later European immigrants. The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840. Confusion and disagreement continue to surround the Treaty. However, most New Zealanders still regard "the Treaty" as marking New Zealand's foundation as
6650-437: The islands, and the cultural input of the Māori and the various waves of multiethnic migration which followed the British colonisation of New Zealand. A colloquial name for New Zealanders is a Kiwi ( / k iː w iː / ). The table above shows the broad ethnic composition of the New Zealand population at the 1961 census compared to that from the most recent data of the 2013 census. People of European descent constituted
6745-478: The language is visible in government departments and literature, by insisting on traditional Māori welcomes ( pōwhiri ) at government functions and state school award programs, and by having Māori run the welfare services targeted at their people. New Zealanders are distinctive for their twangy dialect of English and propensity to travel long distances, and are quickly associated with the All Blacks rugby team and
6840-757: The latter part of the 19th century as a result of the economic boom following the Otago gold rush . A common style for these landmarks is the use of dark basalt blocks and facings of cream-coloured Oamaru stone , a form of limestone mined at Weston in North Otago . Notable buildings in this style include Dunedin Railway Station , the University of Otago Registry Building , Christchurch Arts Centre , Knox Church, Dunedin , Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch , Christ's College, Christchurch , Garrison Hall, Dunedin , parts of
6935-514: The loss of much of their land coupled with high fatality rate due to introduced diseases and epidemics, Māori went into a period of decline, and in the late 19th century it was believed that the Māori population would cease to exist as a separate race and would be assimilated into the European population. However, the predicted decline did not occur, and numbers recovered. Despite a high degree of intermarriage between Māori and European populations, Māori were able to retain their cultural identity and in
7030-432: The majority of the 4.2 million people living in New Zealand, with 2,969,391 or 74.0% of the population in the 2013 New Zealand census . Those of full or part-Māori ancestry comprise 14.9% of New Zealanders. The residual "others" ethnic group consists largely of Asians and Pacific Islanders. The Māori people are most likely descended from people who emigrated from Taiwan to Melanesia and then travelled east through to
7125-409: The most commonly spoken European languages in New Zealand are French and German . Another area of cultural influence are New Zealand Patriotic songs: Scottish architect Sir Basil Spence provided the original conceptual design of the Beehive in 1964. The detailed architectural design was undertaken by the New Zealand government architect Fergus Sheppard , and structural design of the building
7220-467: The nationality of their former nations—typically British. Historian Fiona Barker states, "New Zealanders saw their country as playing a special role as a loyal member of the British Empire, and for a long time New Zealand aspired to be a ‘Britain of the South’." However, by the mid-20th century a distinctive identity had cemented. Michael King , a leading writer and historian on Pākehā identity, discussed
7315-574: The next biggest immigrant group after the British and Irish), France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United States, and Canada. In 1840 representatives of the British Crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi with 240 Māori chiefs throughout New Zealand, motivated by plans for a French colony at Akaroa and land purchases by the New Zealand Company in 1839. British sovereignty was then proclaimed over New Zealand in May 1840. Some would later argue that
7410-642: The next phase of settlement, the arrival of Europeans. Only then did the indigenous inhabitants need to distinguish themselves from the new arrivals, using the term "Māori" which means "normal" or "ordinary". Between the mid-1840s through to the 1860s, disputes over questionable land purchases led to the New Zealand Wars , which resulted in large tracts of tribal land being confiscated by the colonial government. Settlements such as Parihaka in Taranaki have become almost legendary because of injustices done there. With
7505-465: The north, could read and write in their native language and to a lesser extent English. European migration has left a deep legacy on the social and political structures of New Zealand. Early visitors to New Zealand included whalers, sealers, missionaries, mariners, and merchants, attracted to natural resources in abundance. They came from the Australian colonies, Great Britain and Ireland, Germany (forming
7600-499: The number of people of Asian ethnicities grew rapidly, and they are likely to exceed the Pacific population within the next few years. In the 1950s and 1960s, New Zealand encouraged migrants from the South Pacific. The country had a large demand for unskilled labour in the manufacturing sector. As long as this demand continued, migrants were encouraged by the government to come from the South Pacific, and many overstayed. However, when
7695-556: The once dominant religion, and the popularity of British sports such as rugby and cricket ; all of which are part of the heritage that has shaped modern New Zealand. European settlement increased through the early decades of the 19th century, with numerous trading stations established, especially in the North. The experiences of European New Zealanders have endured in New Zealand music , cinema and literature . The early European settlers and later organised settlers identified themselves as
7790-612: The persons of Polish origin in New Zealand arrived as orphans from Eastern Poland via Siberia and Iran in 1944 during World War II. With the agencies of the United Nations dealing with humanitarian efforts following the Second World War , New Zealand accepted about 5,000 refugees and displaced persons from Europe, and more than 1,100 Hungarians between 1956 and 1959 (see Refugees in New Zealand ). The post-WWII immigration included more persons from Greece , Italy , Poland and
7885-403: The population at the 2013 census declared an affiliation to Christianity. However, regular church attendance is probably closer to 15%. Before European colonisation the religion of the indigenous Māori population was animistic , but the subsequent efforts of missionaries such as Samuel Marsden resulted in many Māori converting to Christianity. Religious affiliation has been collected in
7980-484: The proclamation of sovereignty was in direct conflict with the treaty, which in its Māori version had guaranteed sovereignty ( rangatiratanga ) to the Māori who signed it. By the end of the 1850s the European and Māori populations were of a similar size as immigration and natural increase boosted European numbers. Following the formalising of British sovereignty, the organised and structured flow of migrants from Great Britain and Ireland began. Government-chartered ships like
8075-516: The recent relatively sudden introduction of firearms into the Māori world), cultural barriers and the lack of an established European law and order made settling in New Zealand a risky prospect. By the late 1830s the average missionary would claim that many Māori were nominally Christian; many of the Māori slaves that had been captured during the Musket Wars had been freed, and cannibalism had been largely stamped out. By this time many Māori, especially in
8170-448: The south of England, giving a definite English influence to the "Canterbury Settlement" . By 1870 the non-Māori population reached over 250,000. Other settlers came from Germany, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe as well as from China and the Indian subcontinent , but British and Irish settlers made up the vast majority, and did so for the next 150 years. Between 1881 and the 1920s,
8265-419: The survey chose the option Pākehā to describe themselves with the remainder preferring New Zealander , New Zealand European or Kiwi . The term Palagi , pronounced Palangi, is Samoan in origin and is used in similar ways to Pākehā , usually by people of Samoan or other Pacific Island descent. Historically, a sense of 'Britishness' has figured prominently in the identity of many New Zealanders. As late as
8360-479: The treaty signed that February. Following the formalising of sovereignty, an organised and structured flow of migrants from Great Britain and Ireland began, and by 1860 more than 100,000 British and Irish settlers lived throughout New Zealand. The Otago Association actively recruited settlers from Scotland, generating a definite Scottish influence in Murihiku , while the Canterbury Association recruited settlers from
8455-437: The tribe. By 1830 there was a population of about 800 non-Māori which included a total of about 200 runaway convicts and seamen. The seamen often lived in New Zealand for a short time before joining another ship a few months later. In 1839 there were 1100 Europeans living in the North Island. Violence against European shipping (mainly due to mutual cultural misunderstandings), the ongoing musket wars between Māori tribes (due to
8550-449: The vicinity of New Zealand. Whalers and sealers were often itinerant and the first real settlers were missionaries and traders in the Bay of Islands area from 1809. Some of the early visitors stayed and lived with Māori tribes as Pākehā Māori . Often whalers and traders married Māori women of high status which served to cement trade and political alliances as well as bringing wealth and prestige to
8645-472: The wording "New Zealand European (Pākehā)" in the ethnicity question, however the word Pākehā was subsequently removed after what Statistics New Zealand called a "significant adverse reaction" to its use to identify ethnicity. In 2013, the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study carried out by the University of Auckland found no evidence that the word was derogatory; 14% of the overall respondents to
8740-472: Was about 3 to 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 months to New Zealand. Cargo carried on the Glentanner for New Zealand included coal, slate, lead sheet, wine, beer, cart components, salt, soap and passengers' personal goods. On the 1857 passage the ship carried 163 official passengers, most of them government assisted. On the return trip the ship carried a wool cargo worth 45,000 pounds. In the 1860s discovery of gold started
8835-458: Was integral to Māori knowledge, which had no written language . Oral tradition was maintained in New Zealand by guilds for centuries after Māori arrival, despite later colonial efforts to suppress it. In the New Zealand Wars (1845–1872), the Māori developed elaborate trench and bunker systems as part of the already-existent fortified areas known as pā , employing them successfully as early as
8930-434: Was taken November–December 1851. Subsequent censuses were taken in 1858, 1861, 1864, 1867, 1871, 1874, 1878 and 1881 and thereafter at five-yearly intervals until 1926. The table shows the ethnic composition of New Zealand population at each census since the early twentieth century. Europeans are still the largest ethnic group in New Zealand. Their proportion of the total New Zealand population has been decreasing gradually since
9025-484: Was undertaken by the Ministry of Works . The Beehive was built in stages between 1969 and 1979. W. M. Angus constructed the first stage - the podium, underground car park and basement for a national civil defence centre, and Gibson O'Connor constructed the ten floors of the remainder of the building. Bellamy's restaurant moved into the building in the summer of 1975–76 and Queen Elizabeth II , Queen of New Zealand , unveiled
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