1848 The Acheron arrives to begin survey of NZ waters
Captained by John Lort Stokes, the paddle steamer Acheron spent four years charting the New Zealand coastline. Read more...
1912 Public Service Act passed into law
The Public Service Act was passed into law, creating a framework for New Zealand’s bureaucracy that was to endure until 1988. The Act was the brainchild of lawyer Alexander Herdman, a senior minister in the new Reform Party government. Read more...
1970 Aoraki/Mt Cook face conquered by hippies
Long-haired Christchurch mountaineers John Glasgow and Peter Gough became the first to scale the 2000-m Caroline Face of Aoraki/Mt Cook, declaring it a ‘triumph for the hippies’ Read more...
