About the book
The House: New Zealand's House of Representatives 1854-2004
The improvised beginnings of Parliament in makeshift quarters in Auckland on 25 May 1854 gave little indication of what was to come. Parliamentary government would provide a fascinating story as New Zealand's representative institutions evolved. This history of the House of Representatives is the first full history of this important institution, and it fills a substantial gap in New Zealand's story.
The House gives an account of the institution and its practices, and the ferment and drama of politics as they were played out against the backdrop of the House in session. Here are 150 years of the people and the personalities who breathed and lived the culture of the House and politics. Here, too, are some of the big stories of New Zealand history: the assumption of responsible government, the extension of the vote to all adults, the formation of political parties, and the radical changes of the last two decades with the adoption of MMP. This history tells much about the changing relationship between the people of New Zealand and its political institutions.
John E. Martin, The House: New Zealand's House of Representatives 1854-2004, Palmerston North, Dunmore Press, 2004. ISBN 0-86469-463-6. RRP $59.95.
Copies of this book may be purchased at the Parliament Shop, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, and at all good bookstores.