The Aotearoa History Show: Season 2

2022

Through animation and extensive research, the history of Aotearoa is explored and detailed in this factual series.

Where to watch The Aotearoa History Show: Season 2

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The Aotearoa History Show: Season 2 episodes

Episode 1Pests

Nobody really knows who introduced the first rabbits to Aotearoa…... More Partly because nobody wanted to take the blame.

The First 500 Years

The first 500 years of Māori settlement in Aotearoa saw... More significant, dynamic changes to how people lived; changes that challenge the idea of Māori culture as something carved in stone.

Teenagers

The 1950s saw an explosion of youth culture in Aotearoa.... More In fact, it’s often said the whole idea of “the teenager” was born in the 1950s. But is that really true? And what even is a “milk bar” anyway?

Epidemics

During the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve heard people say stuff like... More “we’re living in unprecedented times” …But every time they hear that, historians get extremely annoyed! In this episode we dig into the history of epidemics in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Gold Rush

Gold! The mania for this shiny yellow metal swept all... More over Aotearoa in the second half of the 19th century and left the country, and many of its people, fundamentally changed.

Native Land Court

In 1841 a few tiny islands of Pākehā settlement existed... More in an ocean of Māori land. Today, that picture has reversed & Māori own a fraction of Aotearoa. A big part of the reason? The Native Land Court.

Moriori

Moriori are the original people of Rēkohu and they have... More a fascinating, tragic and inspiring story. Unfortunately, over the years people have been told a lot of stuff about Moriori which is.. well… complete and utter rubbish.

Musket Wars

These are the wars that cost more lives than any... More other in our history. Stretched over more than a decade and the entire country, these conflicts changed Māori warfare and much of what came next.

Sealers and Whalers

Marine mammals have played a vital role in the history... More of Aotearoa. Māori and Moriori hunted seals, and many non-Māori were drawn to these shores to do likewise. The arrival of these new sealers and whalers would have enormous impacts.

Railways

From a standing start of little tank engines chugging along... More wooden rails, New Zealand built a vast rail network, made up of enough steel rail to wrap halfway around the moon.

Agricultural Science

New Zealand agriculture has always been at the cutting edge.... More But innovation isn’t always good news for all people, or for the environment - so in this episode we dig into the history of New Zealand agriculture through the lens of innovation.

Women's Suffrage

We all know New Zealand was the first country in... More the world where women could vote. But do you know how we got there? The path to suffrage is littered with alcohol, hidden heroes and dirty tricks.

Australia & NZ

It seems an almost heretical question, but it’s gotta be... More asked: Why are NZ and Australia different countries?

Pacific Empire

Through much of the 19th century NZ politicians and administrators... More dreamed of running a vast empire in the Pacific. Parts of that dream came true - although for some, it was more like a nightmare.