New Zealand in the 19th Century

Challenges and Change

Landmarks: Go North Young Man, TVNZ, 1981

Go North Young Man tells the story of political and economic developments in New Zealand in the 19th Century. This extract would best be used at the beginning of the ‘Economic and Political’ section of the course as an overview of the key challenges that faced New Zealand’s economic and political climate in the 19th century.

Suggested discussion questions:

1. What were the key challenges and changes for the New Zealand economy in the 19th Century?
2. In what ways did New Zealanders try to deal with these challenges?

Gold

The Chinese Miners
What Lies Beneath: The Missing Miners

This extract discusses the trials and tribulations of the Chinese gold miners in New Zealand. This extract would best be used when discussing the plight of the Chinese on the goldfields.

Suggested discussion questions:

1. In what ways did the Chinese manage to retain a unique identity on the goldfields?
2. What kind of interactions did the Chinese community have with their Pakeha neighbours?
3. What was Premier Richard Seddon’s ‘White New Zealand’ policy?

Otago Gold
All for the Gold

This extract gives a good overview of the gold mining era in Otago. This extract would best be used at the beginning of the gold mining section of the course as an overview of the impact that gold mining had on 19th century New Zealand.

Kauri

The Tall Trees & the Gold
This is a very old extract that discusses the Kauri industry in New Zealand.

Suggested discussion questions:

1. What was kauri used for in New Zealand?
2. To what extent was the Kauri industry a ‘male world’?
3. What does this clip show us about how New Zealand history was understood in the past?

The Pastoralists

Landmarks: The Pastoralists

This lengthy extract charts the development of pastoralism in New Zealand. It makes for a good overview of the subject.

Suggested discussion questions:

1. Who was Charles Clifford and what did he contribute to pastoralism in New Zealand?
2. In what ways were the whaling and pastoral industries connected?
3. Was the South Island really contain an ‘unclaimed, unused grassland’ as Kenneth Cumberland asserts?

Transport

Landmarks: The Main Trunk Line (extract)

The development of the main trunk line was essential in helping to develop a sense of a wider community in early NZ.

Suggested discussion questions:

1. What was early communication between the provinces reliant on?
2. What impact did the railways have on Maori communities like the Kingitanga?
3. How important were communications to the developing sense of a national identity?

People

These are short extracts that introduce key characters in New Zealand’s history. Use them as lesson starters or to illustrate a personality you are introducing.

Edward Gibbon Wakefield
Julius Vogel
Richard Seddon
Brydone & Davidson