crime

The death penalty

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  The first execution in New Zealand was that of a young Maori named Maketu, convicted at Auckland in 1842. Walter Bolton became the last to be executed when he was hanged at Mount Eden prison in 1957. In total there were 83 verified executions for murder and one for treason in New Zealand between these dates.

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• Page 2 – The first execution

  On 7 March 1842 Maketu Wharetotara, the 17-year-old son of the Ngāpuhi chief Ruhe of Waimate, became the first person to be legally executed in New Zealand.

• Page 4 – The last execution

  Walter Bolton was the last person to be executed in New Zealand when he was convicted of poisoning his wife, Beatrice. He was hanged for her murder at Mount Eden prison. The

• Page 5 – List of executions

  Between Maketu's execution in 1842 and Walter Bolton in 1957, there were a further 82 executions.

• Page 6 – Further information

  This web feature was written by Steve Watters and produced by the NZHistory.net.nz team.

Maungatapu murders, 1866

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  The 'Burgess gang' murdered and thieved their way around the South Island during the 1860s. Their most notorious crime was five killings over two days in June 1866, on the Maungatapu track near Nelson. Now you can read their story in a virtual comic book.

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• Page 2 – The Burgess gang

  Richard Burgess, the gang's ringleader, originally known as Richard Hill, had been transported from London to Melbourne for theft at the age of 16, arriving in 1847

• Page 3 – The crimes

  In May 1866 the Burgess gang embarked on a crime spree on the west coast of the South Island that would culminate in the murder of five men on the Maungatapu Track.

• Page 4 – Sullivan's betrayal

  Joseph Sullivan claimed to have acted solely as a lookout for the gang, and told the police about the killing of James Battle, incriminating the others

• Page 5 – The trial

  Deposition proceedings against the gang began on 2 August 1866 amid great excitement. Only now was it revealed that Sullivan had informed on the others.

• Page 6 – The executions

  Members of the Nelson Volunteers surrounded the gaol on the morning of the execution to ensure that 'good order was maintained' by the public.

• Page 7 – Aftermath

  When Joseph Sullivan returned to Hokitika to give evidence about the robbery of the Hokitika police camp and the murder of George Dobson, a mob called for him to be lynched

• Page 8 – Further information

  Further reading and links to information about the Maungatapu murders

Baby farmers

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  Baby farmers were paid caregivers who allegedly neglected children in their care, concealed their deaths or deliberately murdered the infants. The most notorious was Minnie Dean, who, in August 1895, became the first (and only) woman to be hanged for murder in New Zealand.

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• Page 2 – From childcare to baby farming

  High-profile British and Australian court cases in the 1880s introduced New Zealanders to the sinister practices of baby farmers: paid caregivers who neglected children in

• Page 3 – Minnie Dean

  In 1895 Southland's Williamina (Minnie) Dean became the first – and only – woman to be hanged in New Zealand. Her story exposed the stark realities of paid

• Page 4 – The Newlands baby farmers

  The sensational murder trial of Daniel and Martha Cooper revealed that the difficulties facing single mothers and unwanted children continued well into the 20th century.

Crime timeline

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  New Zealand is often seen as a relatively safe country, but as this selection of notable crimes shows, we have had our share of homicides, violence and other criminal acts. The timeline of more than 75 events can also be viewed as a map.

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• Page 3 – Further information

  Links and books relating to NZ crimes

Policing the war effort

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  In 1914 the New Zealand government moved quickly to strengthen the rule of law and keep the country focused on winning the war

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• Page 1 - Policing the war effortIn 1914 the New Zealand government moved quickly to strengthen the rule of law and keep the country focused on winning the

Homosexual law reform

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  The homosexual law reform campaign moved beyond the gay community to wider issues of human rights and discrimination. Extreme viewpoints ensured a lengthy and passionate debate before the Homosexual Law Reform Act was passed 27 years ago, in July 1986.

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• Page 3 – Birth of the gay movement

  Social and political groups for homosexuals in New Zealand began with the Dorian Society in the 1960s. By the next decade, sexual and social liberation was in the air.

• Page 4 – Reforming the law

  To bring about change in the law, the gay movement needed a parliamentary champion. It found one in Member of Parliament Fran Wilde.

Children and adolescents, 1930-1960

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  The need for the New Zealand government to promote national interests during the Depression and the Second World War created a renewed appreciation of the role of the family within society.

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• Page 4 - The post-war family As a consequence of the post-war economic boom there was increasing demand for consumer goods. The 1956 census revealed that more than half of New Zealand homes possessed

The 1920s

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  The 1920s was the decade that modern New Zealand came of age. Despite political and economic uncertainty, the country shrugged off the gloom of war to embrace the Jazz Age - an era of speed, power and glamour. Explore an overview of the decade and a year-by-year breakdown of key events.

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• Page 6 - 1923 - key eventsA selection of key New Zealand events from

New Zealanders who resisted the First World War

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  Lists of men who for a variety of reasons refused to serve in the First World War.

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• Page 3 - Convictions for sedition 1915-18The War Regulations Act 1914 allowed citizens to be arrested and charged with sedition for making ‘disloyal’ or ‘seditious’ statements, either verbally or in print. This