NZ Herald newsroom, Election Night 2023.
NZ Herald newsroom, Election Night 2023.
The very first edition of the New Zealand Herald, Friday, November 13, 1863.
The New Zealand Herald has now marked 160 years of publication. It has been a remarkable journey.
Here, we go through the newspaper's archives to highlight key moments in our history. This visual account will be updated each weekday until Friday, November 24 as we chart the path from the New Zealand wars to the present day.
The first edition on Friday November 13, 1863, promised readers that “we shall bestow unwearied attention” on the stories that matter to New Zealanders. That has become the Herald’s calling card ever since, as a search through our files reveals.
When Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, Herald artist William Blomfield went on a perilous mission to discover the fate of the world-famous Pink and White Terraces. He broke the news in a telegraphed report; “The Terraces are gone.”
We published a letter from Anzac hero Colonel William Malone in the trenches of Gallipoli, shortly before he was killed after seizing Chunuk Bair, and scored an exclusive interview with pioneering aviator Jean Batten on the day she became the first person to fly solo from London to Auckland.
We were there when the nation came together, mourning for beloved Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage in 1940 and celebrating when Sir Edmund Hilllary climbed Everest in 1953. The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 sold 300,000 papers, a high point in circulation.
From the beginning our coverage has been a powerful combination of words and images, first drawings, then photography and now video. Many Herald photos have become historical landmarks, such as the start of Dame Whina Cooper’s hīkoi to Wellington or Labour’s “fish and chip brigade” who would go on to lead the economic reforms of the 1980s. Gordon Minhinnick, the Herald’s cartoonist for 46 years, became a staple on the school history curriculum for his portrayal of key political events.
We have broken stories of national and international significance, from the arrest of French spies for the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985 to the 2004 discovery that Israeli agents were trying to obtain false New Zealand passports. We exposed the leaky building crisis and the horrific impact of surgical mesh on many women, prompting a pause on operations in August.
Our readers have always turned us in times of crisis, no more so than in the last few years. The Christchurch mosque massacre, the eruption of White Island and then the Covid pandemic stretched New Zealand’s emotional resources to the limit. We take great pride in the Herald’s 90 per cent campaign, which achieved its ambitious vaccination target against all expectations.
Like all media organisations, we have made mistakes. Some of the Herald’s historical positions make uncomfortable reading today, starting with the paper’s belligerent stance on the “native rebellion” from the first issue. Our views on this and many other issues have changed significantly in line with our readers.
Today the Herald reaches 2.2 million people every week, the biggest audience in our history. For many, catching our latest news alerts, podcasts and video as they scroll on their phones, we are no longer a newspaper, for others the printed edition remains a pleasure. One thing has not changed since 1863 – it’s still the stories that matter.
The very first edition of the New Zealand Herald, Friday, November 13, 1863.
The very first edition of the New Zealand Herald, Friday, November 13, 1863.
NEW ZEALAND WARS: Conflict over land and sovereignty between the Crown and iwi, and the land confiscations that followed, have left deep scars. Above: Captain Gilbert Mair and his Arawa troops in 1870 at Lake Rotokakahi. Below: A depiction of the Battle of Gate Pa from The Navy & Army Illustrated, June 25, 1897.
TRAILBLAZERS: Kate Edger (right) was the first female university graduate in the British Empire. She received her BA on July 11, 1877. Helen Connon (centre) was the first M.A graduate (1881) in the British Empire to win a degree with honours.
Heavily outnumbered by men, women walk to the polling booth to vote in 1893, when New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to enshrine the right for women to vote.
TARAWERA ERUPTION: On June 10, 1886, Mt Tarawera erupted. More than 120 people died under the ash and mud that rained down on the area near Rotorua on that fateful night, and entire villages disappeared forever.
MacRae's hotel at Wairoa, which collapsed under the weight of mud and ash, was eventually half buried.
The new crater lake at Mt Tarawera after the eruption, and members of Stephenson Percy Smith's survey party in the foreground.
Sophia's Whare, Wairoa on June 10, 1886.
A party of tourists on the White Terraces which now lies beneath Lake Rotomahana. This picture was taken about 1880, six years before the Mt Tarawera eruption.
MEAT EXPORT BEGINS: The ship Dunedin, at Port Chalmers in 1882, loading the first load of refrigerated meat to be successfully transported to England.
BEFORE IT ALL: New Zealand’s first rugby union team, selected in 1884 to tour New South Wales. This was before they were officially known as the All Blacks. Back row from left to right: Timothy O'Connor, Hart Udy, George Robertson, James Allan, Edward Millton, Thomas Ryan, Robert Wilson Middle row:Edwin Davy, John Taiaroa, George Carter, John Dumbell, William Millton, Henry Braddon, George Helmore, Peter Webb, Samuel Sleigh (manager) Seated in front: John Lecky, Joe Warbrick, Henry Roberts.
RIDING AHEAD: The first women's cycling club in Australasia was formed in New Zealand on August 18, 1892.
A Chistchurch woman, Mrs Burn, models early cycling attire in 1888.
FIT FOR A KING: The future King George V and Queen Mary are welcomed by Auckland mayor, Sir John Logan Campbell (on dais) at the foot of Queen St in a downpour of rain in 1901.
THE ORIGINALS: The first New Zealand rugby team to tour outside Australia visited the British Isles, France and the United States of America during 1905–1906. After defeating Scotland, Ireland, and England they lost their only match of the entire 35-match tour – 3-0 to Wales at a famous game at Cardiff Arms Park. The tour established the All Blacks name and heralded New Zealand’s arrival as a world-class rugby nation. Captain Dave Gallaher is fifth from left in the middle row (holding the ball).
The All Blacks take on Middlesex in 1905, winning 34–0. Britain’s Daily Chronicle said: "These New Zealanders turn defence into attack with such bewildering rapidity as to prove that scrummaging is a mere detail. There is nothing in the game in which they do not excel."
GOING ELECTRIC: Downtown Auckland is thronged with fascinated onlookers as the first electric tram is launched in Queen St in 1902.
HOME AND AWAY: Katherine Mansfield became New Zealand’s most famous writer, even though she spent most of her life in England. She is pictured here in her flat in London.
GOD’S OWN CABINET: Prime Minister Richard John (‘King Dick’) Seddon and his 1905 cabinet. From left; Charles Mills, Thomas Duncan, James McGowan, Sir Joseph Ward, Richard John Seddon, William Hall-Jones, Albert Pitt, Sir James Carroll (standing) and Mahuta Te Wherowhero.
MASSEY’S COSSACKS: In the 1913 waterfront strike, Prime Minister William Massey enrolled about 1600 farmers as ‘special constables’ on horseback. Unionists labelled the strikebreaking unit “Massey’s Cossacks”.
The special constables confront the strikers in Auckland.
WORLD AT WAR: New Zealand troops answered the call of Empire in World War I, suffering huge losses with the Australians at Gallipoli. They also featured in the bloody Battle of Passchendaele, losing 834 men in just a few hours fighting.
CITY LANDMARK: The Auckland War Memorial Museum opened in November 1929. It became the annual site of the city’s Anzac Day dawn service.
WINNING WAYS: New Zealand-bred Phar Lap became an international horse racing sensation, winning 37 times from 51 between 1928 and 1932.
MINING DISASTER: One of New Zealand’s worst mining accidents occurred on 12 September 1914 when an explosion at Ralph’s mine in Huntly killed 43 men.
The explosion was caused by a miner’s naked acetylene cap-lamp which ignited the methane gas given off by coal.
Many miners who survived the explosion suffered terrible burns from the resulting fire, according to nzhistory.govt.nz. Some scrambled up the ventilation shaft, while others escaped in one of the cages used to transport miners up and down the shaft. It took 15 days for the last body to be recovered because of the build-up of gas, which caused several other smaller fires. A commission of inquiry found that the coal dust in the mine was highly inflammable and ordered the immediate introduction of safety lamps.
DEVASTATION: The 1931 Napier earthquake flattened large parts of the city. This photo shows the damage looking from east to west down Heretaunga Street.
Rescuers searching for dead and injured in the Napier ruins.
DRAWING RATIONS: An unemployed relief camp at Waimakariri River in 1932, during the Great Depression.
A huge crowd of unemployed workers demonstrates against the camp system and relief conditions. This picture was taken near the Auckland Town Hall.
LETTING OFF STEAM: Mt Ngauruhoe erupts in 1934.
GOLDEN MILE: Middle-distance runner Jack Lovelock wins the ‘Mile of the Century’ in 1935.
QUEEN OF THE SKIES: Jean Batten waves from the cockpit at Mangere Aerodrome after becoming the first person to fly solo from London to Auckland in 1936.
BELOVED PM: Thousands of the people turned out for the funeral of former Prime Minister Michael Savage, at Fort Bastion (now Bastion Pt ).
WAITING FOR WAR: New Zealand troops arrive in Crete in 1941.
BEACH LANDING: New Zealand soldiers race ashore from landing craft in the Pacific in 1943.
PARTY TIME: A motorcyclist and friends in Cathedral Square during VJ celebrations in Christchurch.
WHARF WARS: Striking waterfront workers clash with police in 1951 outside the Auckland Town Hall.
TOP OF THE WORLD: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Mt Everest in 1953.
RAIL TRAGEDY: The Tangiwai disaster on Christmas Eve, 1953, cost 151 rail passengers their lives.
WALKABOUT: Queen Elizabeth II at a children’s gathering at Athletic Park, Wellington, during her 1953-54 royal tour.
NATIONAL TREASURE: The country mourned the 1956 death of Opo the dolphin, who loved to play with swimmers off Opononi, in Northland.
ALMOST THERE: Sections of the Auckland harbour bridge are moved into place in 1958.
GOLD RUSH: Peter Snell wins the 800m at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He would go on to win the 800m and 1500m at Tokyo four years later.
POI E: The Beatles compare notes with a Māori cultural group at Wellington Airport during their New Zealand tour in 1964.
FINAL JOURNEY: Pallbearers carry the coffin of Koroki, the Māori King, up the rain-soaked side of Taupiri Mountain to his resting place in 1966.
ALL CHANGE: New Zealand adopts decimal currency in 1967. The Herald took this taxi fare photo just after midnight on the day of the switch.
FERRY DISASTER: In 1968 the interisland ferry Wahine ran aground in Wellington harbour and sank several hours later, killing 51 people.
WAR PROTEST: Vietnam War Gunners of the 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery and their comrades-in-arms from the Special Air Service Squadron received a mixed welcome when they paraded in Auckland's Queen St on May 12, 1971 on their return from South Vietnam.
DAWN RAIDS: The Polynesian Panther Party was founded in 1971 and its influence grew over the decade. The Panthers led a powerful campaign against the dawn raids by police looking for people whose presence in the country was illegal. Here, protesters march in solidarity with the Panthers on Queen St, March 3, 1972.
BATTLE FOR EQUALITY: The Equal Pay Act was passed into law on October 20, 1972. Here, delegates at the United Women's Convention in Auckland discuss issues such as pay equality in 1973.
NUCLEAR FIGHTBACK: The American nuclear submarine USS Haddo is greeted in Auckland in 1979 by numerous vessels. The flotilla was made up of police launches which acted as a barrier between the submarine and the many boats of protesters who were calling for a nuclear-free Pacific.
WALKER’S RUN: John Walker wins gold in the 1500m at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games ahead of Ivo Van Damme (103).
CARLESS DAYS: Mrs P. M. Clark of the motor registration department at the Wellesley St post office with the first of the carless-day stickers to arrive in Auckland on May 25, 1979. Carless days were introduced to combat the second ‘oil shock’ or petrol shortage of the 1970s.
LONGEST MARCH: Dame Whina Cooper and her granddaughter Irenee Cooper set off on a dusty Far North road for Parliament in 1975. The hīkoi protesting against the ongoing loss of Māori land swelled to 5000 people and covered more than 1100km.
EREBUS DISASTER: The battered tail of the ill-fated DC-10 lying on its side surrounded by wreckage of the Mt Erebus, Antarctica plane crash on November 28, 1979, which killed 257 people.
MARATHON WOMAN: Allison Roe “the world's fastest woman marathon runner" wins the Boston Marathon on April 20, 1981.
SPRINGBOK TOUR: The 1981 rugby tour by Apartheid-era South Africa divided New Zealand. Here, anti-Springbok protesters block the match in Hamilton on July 25.
The All Blacks gather round Gary Knight as he lies prone after an aerial flour-bomb attack during the test against the Springboks at Eden Park on September 12, 1981.
ROYAL BUZZ: When Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited New Zealand in April 1983 with baby Prince William, the child was given an iconic Kiwi buzzy-bee. Photos of the family taken on the lawn at Government House in Auckland, made front pages around the world.
SNAP ELECTION: Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon, watched by the Governor-General Sir David Beattie, announces a " snap " election at Government House in Wellington on June 15, 1984. National’s Muldoon lost the election to Labour’s David Lange.
BROKEN RAINBOW: The anti-nuclear Greenpeace protest boat the Rainbow Warrior the day after it was bombed at Marsden Wharf Auckland New Zealand by the French Secret Service on July 10, 1985.
NOVEL HONOUR: Keri Hulme wins the prestigious UK literature award the Booker Prize on October 31, 1985. Hulme (second from right) is pictured here with (from left): Miriama Evans, Marian Evans and Irihapeti Ramsden after the novel’s release in 1984.
PAPAL VISIT: Crowds gather at the Auckland Domain to see Pope John Paul II on his 1986 visit to New Zealand.
SHAREMARKET CRASH: Share dealer Philip Solarz has his hands full during hectic trading at the Auckland exchange after the Black Tuesday crash in October 1987.
CYCLONE BOLA: Cyclone Bola was one of the most damaging storms to hit New Zealand, striking Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne–East Cape in March 1988. Here, a warning sign in Tolaga Bay is submerged.
Picture Editor: Alex Robertson
Words: David Rowe, Andrew Laxon
Design: Paul Slater
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