Past commemorations | Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Past commemorations

50th anniversary of the presentation of the Māori language petition and first Māori Language Day

175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka, during the Northern War.
125th anniversary of the Brunner mine disaster, New Zealand’s deadliest industrial accident.
75th anniversary of the arrival of Jayforce in Japan.
50th anniversary of the establishment of the South Pacific Forum, now the Pacific Islands Forum.
25th anniversary of the first MMP election.

175th anniversary of the start of the Northern War
100th anniversary of New Zealand sending its first official team to the Olympics
100th anniversary of New Zealand attending the League of Nations and the 75th anniversary of signing the United Nations Charter
100th anniversary of the opening of the Alexander Turnbull Library
25th anniversary of New Zealand joining the World Trade Organisation

250th anniversary of the first meetings of Māori and Europeans between James Cook and Tahitian chief and navigator Tupaia. Visit our Tuia - Encounters 250 website for more details.
100th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles and peace celebrations

125th anniversary of women's suffrage (1893)
On 19 September 1893 the Electoral Act 1893 was passed, giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote. As a result of this landmark legislation, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
100th anniversary of the battle at Le Quesnoy - National Commemoration held in France (1918)
100th anniversary of Armistice - National Commemoration held at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park (1918)

175th anniversary of the Wairau incident
150th anniversary of the start of the fighting between Crown forces and the forces of Titokowaru and Te Kooti
150th anniversary of New Zealand becoming the first country to introduce nationwide standard time
100th anniversary of the influenza pandemic
50th anniversary of the sinking of the Wahine. The Wahine 50 Trust organised a number of events for the commemoration on 10 April 2018.

150th anniversary of the Māori Representation Act establishing Māori seats in Parliament
NZHistory - Māori and the vote
Te Ara feature on Māori representation
150th anniversary of the creation of the Native School system
Te Ara feature on the Native School system
100th anniversary of the introduction and 50th anniversary of the end of 6 o'clock closing in bars
NZHistory - 'Six o'clock swill' begins
NZHistory - The end of the '6 o'clock swill'
Te Ara feature on the beer swill
50th anniversary of the adoption of the decimal currency
NZHistory - New Zealand adopts decimal currency
Te Ara feature on the decimal currency (view the 1967 decimal currency song here)
Decimal currency move a defining moment

200th anniversary of New Zealand's first school
150th anniversary of the Cook Strait undersea telegraph cable and the 140th anniversary of the trans-Tasman undersea telegraph cable
120th anniversary of the first public film screening, 100th anniversary of the introduction of film censorship and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the National Film Unit
Listen to a Radio New Zealand feature about the history of the National Film Unit here and a second part which first aired in July and August 2016.
75th anniversary of the founding of the Royal New Zealand Navy
50th anniversary of Vietnam War (Battle of Long Tan)

Updated on 12th January 2023