7 November

The <em>Acheron</em> arrives to survey New Zealand waters

1848 The Acheron arrives to survey New Zealand waters

Captained by John Lort Stokes, the paddle steamer Acheron spent four years charting the New Zealand coastline. Read more...
Public Service Act passed into law

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...
Last unclimbed face of Aoraki/Mt Cook conquered

1970 Last unclimbed face of Aoraki/Mt Cook conquered

Long-haired Christchurch mountaineers John Glasgow and Peter Gough became the first people known to have scaled the 2000-m Caroline Face of Aoraki/Mt Cook. They declared it a ‘triumph for the hippies’. Read more...