10 May

1897 NZ's first woman barrister and solicitor appointed

Following the passage of the Female Law Practitioners Act 1896, Ethel Benjamin became the first woman to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Read more...

1925 Death of William Massey

A gruff Ulsterman from South Auckland, William Ferguson Massey (‘Farmer Bill’) is New Zealand’s second-longest-serving prime minister. Read more...

1960 All-white All Blacks leave for South Africa

Despite protests, the controversial rugby tour went ahead. The issue of sporting ties with South Africa would eventually split the country in 1981. Read more...