Articles
The 1940 Centennial
The centennial celebrations of 1940 marked a century of European effort and progress. Māori history and the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took a back seat.
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Page 2 – The Centennial Exhibition
The New Zealand Centennial Exhibition ran from 8 November 1939 to 4 May 1940. During this time 2,641,043 people went through the main gates with a daily average attendance of
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Page 3 – Playland
Over the 1939/40 summer 2,870,995 people - 200,000 more than the total number who visited the centennial exhibition - spent their pounds and shillings in Playland
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Page 4 – The Centennial and progress
The 1940 Centennial, planned for five years and publicly funded, was a deliberate act of national self-definition by the first Labour government.
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Page 5 – The Treaty of Waitangi
Despite all the talk of the 'birth of a nation', the place of the Treaty of Waitangi or Māori in the centennial celebrations was less obvious.
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Page 6 – Further information
Links and books relating to New Zealand's 1940 centennial
Waitangi Day
Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. For most people, Waitangi Day is a holiday; for many, and especially for Māori, it is a time for reflecting on the Treaty and its place in modern New Zealand.
- Page 3 - Waitangi Day 1940s-1950sFrom the 1940s the Treaty and Waitangi began to find a place in the national consciousness. For most New Zealanders, they were of historical interest
Treaty timeline
See some of the key events between 1800 and 1849 relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Page 3 - Treaty events 1900-49Discover some of the key events between 1900 and 1949 relating to the Treaty of
Treaty signatories and signing locations
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on nine separate sheets by more than 500 Māori. Find out more about the sheets, the signatories and the signing locations
- Page 6 - Preserving the documentsThe Treaty of Waitangi is currently on display in the He Tohu exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington. It has not always been so secure. Water, time and
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Main image: Ruatangata Pioneers' Memorial Church
The Ruatangata Memorial Church, as it is commonly known, was opened in 1940