Events In History
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26 September 1907Joseph Ward proclaims dominion status
Prime Minister Ward read the proclamation to a smallish crowd from the steps of the General Assembly Library in Wellington. This first Dominion Day was a public holiday. Read more...
Articles
Dominion status
On 26 September 1907 the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. It became, instead, a dominion within the British Empire.
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Page 2 – Becoming a dominion
New Zealand had its own reasons for wanting to become a dominion. Premier Sir Joseph Ward hoped the term ‘dominion’ would remind the world that New Zealand was not
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Page 3 – The first Dominion Day
The first Dominion Day, 1907, was a holiday for public servants as all government offices closed to mark the occasion.
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Page 4 – Demise of Dominion Day
Dominion Day, 26 September, never really took hold in New Zealand. Wellington was one of the few places that kept up ceremonies after 1907.
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Page 5 – What changed?
What changed when New Zealand became a dominion in 1907?
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Page 6 – New Zealand in 1907
What was New Zealand like when it became a dominion?
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Page 7 – Dominion status symposium, 2007
Read and hear the papers from the Dominion status symposium held at Parliament Buildings on Dominion Day - 26 September 2007
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Page 8 – Further information
Links and books relating to Dominion Day
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Main image: Dominion Day, 2007
The Parliamentary Library was lit up on 26 September 2007 to mark the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of dominion status.