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Concept
Waitangi Day
Summary
Waitangi Day (Te Rā o Waitangi, the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing—on 6 February 1840—of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement towards British sovereignty by representatives of the Crown and indigenous Māori chiefs, and so is regarded by many as the founding document of the nation.
Waitangi Day was first celebrated in 1934, and it was made a national public holiday in 1974. The anniversary is marked annually on 6 February, and a public holiday is observed on the day, or if the date falls on a Saturday or Sunday then the following Monday is observed.
Ceremonies take place at Waitangi and elsewhere to commemorate the signing of the treaty. A variety of events are held, including parties, Māori hui (social gatherings), reflections on New Zealand history, official awards and citizenship ceremonies. The commemoration has also been the focus of protest by Māori activists, and is occasionally the focus of controversy.
The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was first signed on 6 February 1840 on the grounds of James Busby's house—now known as Treaty House—at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands. The treaty was signed by representatives acting on behalf of the British Crown and, initially, by about 45 Māori chiefs. Over the course of the next seven months, copies of the treaty were toured around the New Zealand archipelago by the British, and eventually around 540 Māori chiefs would sign. The signing had the effect of securing British sovereignty over the islands of New Zealand, which was officially proclaimed by the Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, William Hobson,
on 21 May 1840.
Prior to 1934, most celebrations of New Zealand's founding as a colony were held on 29 January, the date on which William Hobson arrived in the Bay of Islands to issue the proclamation of his appointment, which had been prepared by colonial office officials in England. Hobson had no draft treaty. From the British perspective the proclamation was the key legal document, "what the treaty said was less important".
Official source
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