Damon Mcknight
Australia and New Zealand have been heavily influenced by European countries, particularly Britain, through colonisation and immigration. Australia was first used as a prison colony by Britain, whereas New Zealand was never a penal colony, though both countries experienced conflict between indigenous and settler populations. In 1901, New Zealand became independent of Britain, and in the same year, the country's British population grew so large that it was given the title Dominion of New Zealand. In 1973, when Britain joined the European Economic Community, Australia and New Zealand were forced to find new trading partners, which led to the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) in 1983.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Colonising country | Great Britain |
| Colonisation method | Prison colonies for convicts |
| Indigenous population | Aboriginal people (Australia), Maori (New Zealand) |
| Current population | 22 million (Australia), 450,000 Maori (New Zealand) |
| Current relationship with colonising country | Both gained independence in 1947 |
| Relationship between Australia and New Zealand | Close economic ties, shared British colonial heritage |
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What You'll Learn
British colonisation
Australia and New Zealand share a history of British colonisation. Both countries were originally inhabited by Indigenous people—Aboriginal Australians and the Māori of New Zealand—for tens of thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans.
The British first claimed New Zealand as an extension of "British Australia" during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s, but it was not until 1839 that the British government commissioned William Hobson to annex the islands and make them a part of the New South Wales colony. In 1841, New Zealand became a separate crown colony. The Māori chiefs ceded sovereignty to the British crown in return for protection and the guarantee of possession of their lands.
The British colonisation of Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Botany Bay in January 1788, establishing a penal colony. The colony was nearly disastrous, facing starvation and unfamiliar terrain. Captain Arthur Phillip, who led the fleet, proved to be a tough and fair-minded leader, and the colony eventually prospered. The British established other colonies on the continent in the following century, leading to a decline in the Aboriginal population and disruption of their cultures due to introduced diseases, violent conflict, and dispossession of their traditional lands.
The two countries share similarities due to their colonial past, including a dominant European heritage, with English as the main language and Christianity as the dominant religion. However, they also have distinct physical geographies and unique cultural differences.
The close relationship between Australia and New Zealand has continued into the present, with strong economic ties and shared defence interests. The two nations signed the Canberra Pact in 1944 to cooperate during World War II and have since established a Closer Economic Relations free trade agreement, which has led to converging economic integration.
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European heritage
Australia and New Zealand have both been heavily influenced by Europe, particularly the British Isles, as a result of their shared history as British colonies.
Australia was colonised by the British, who initially used it as a prison colony for convicts from Great Britain. The country was home to Aboriginal people who had lived there for tens of thousands of years, but the British colonisation of the country disrupted this. The Aboriginal people were displaced by the new settlers, and their numbers dwindled. Today, only about 2% of Australia's population consists of Aboriginal people, while more than 90% of the population has European heritage, most of whom are from the British Isles. English is the dominant language, and Christianity is the dominant religion, reflecting the country's European colonial history.
Similarly, New Zealand was colonised by the British and has a significant European heritage. The Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, originally came from Polynesia and had a very different culture from the British. New Zealand was never a penal colony, but it did have a European population of about 2,000 people descended from Christian missionaries, sealers, and whalers when it was separated from the Colony of New South Wales in 1840. The British often conflicted with the Maori, and the country experienced internal conflict between the indigenous and settler populations, which manifested in the New Zealand Wars. Despite this, there was some cooperation between the two groups, especially in the rising sheep industry. New Zealand also adopted many British traditions, with public education being made compulsory for Maori and British children, and the country was given the title "Dominion of New Zealand," reflecting its status as part of the British Empire.
Shared British Colonial Heritage
Both Australia and New Zealand share a British colonial heritage as antipodean Dominions and settler colonies, and both are part of the core Anglosphere. This shared heritage has led to strong economic ties between the two countries, especially after Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973, which restricted their access to their biggest export market. In response, Australia and New Zealand signed the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) in 1983, allowing each country access to the other's markets and resulting in a significant increase in trade between them.
In summary, Australia and New Zealand have been significantly influenced by Europe, particularly the British Isles, due to their history as British colonies. This shared colonial heritage has shaped their culture, language, religion, and economic relationships, leaving a lasting impact on both countries.
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Economic ties
Australia and New Zealand have strong economic ties with each other. Both countries share a British colonial heritage as antipodean Dominions and settler colonies, and both are part of the core Anglosphere.
New Zealand's economic ties with Australia are especially strong, given the decline of Britain as a trading partner after it joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1973. In response to Britain's move, a New Zealand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1965, but British preferences were retained.
In 1983, the two countries concluded the Australia New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA) to allow each country access to the other's markets. This agreement was a major turning point, with trans-Tasman trade increasing by 9% per annum from the early 1980s to the end of 2007. Two-way trade between the two countries was NZ$26.2 billion (approximately A$24.1 billion) in 2017-18, including goods and services. New Zealand's largest exports to Australia are travel and tourism, dairy products, foodstuffs, precious metals and jewellery, and machinery. Australia's largest exports to New Zealand include travel and tourism, machinery, inorganic chemicals, vehicles, foodstuffs, and paper products.
In addition to trade, Australia and New Zealand have a history of collaborating on economic development. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both countries shared a model of state development based on their British constitutional heritage and law. This included a system of compulsory arbitration in industrial disputes and a male-breadwinner model of labour and welfare during much of the 20th century.
During the 1930s, Australia considered the idea of a regional pact in the Pacific and suggested that the major powers of the British Commonwealth form a regional defence system. This eventually led to the Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty) in 1951, which was signed to protect the security of the Pacific.
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Indigenous populations
Indigenous Australians and Māori people have been affected by European colonisation in various ways. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Indigenous population of Australia is estimated to have been between 300,000 and 750,000 people. However, between 1788 and 1900, their numbers decreased by up to 90%. This drastic decline was caused by several factors, including the introduction of new diseases, violent conflict with colonists, and loss of traditional territory. The Indigenous people who survived colonisation faced significant changes to their way of life. They were forced into labour, with Aboriginal men working in the cattle industry and women forced into domestic work and risky diving jobs in the pearling industry. Furthermore, the fencing of land by colonists cut off access to clean water, hunting grounds, and food supplies for Indigenous communities, leading to starvation and malnutrition.
The Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand, have a history of interaction with Europeans that dates back to the 18th century. Early contact ranged from beneficial trade to lethal violence, with Māori adopting many European technologies. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 marked a period of coexistence between the two cultures for a generation. However, rising settler numbers and disputes over land purchases led to the New Zealand Wars in the 1860s, fought between the colonial government and various Māori iwi, resulting in the confiscation of Māori land.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various laws and practices were introduced to encourage Māori to conform to European norms, such as the suppression of the Māori language in schools. Despite these challenges, influential Māori politicians worked to revitalise their culture while also adopting some European practices. Today, Māori remain active in all spheres of New Zealand society and culture, with independent representation in media, politics, and sports.
Both Australia and New Zealand share a history of British colonial rule, which has left a lasting impact on the Indigenous populations of both countries. The effects of colonisation on Indigenous Australians and Māori continue to be felt today, and efforts are ongoing to address these legacies and promote cultural preservation and reconciliation.
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Christian missionaries
In the early 1800s, Britain had a loose claim over the New Zealand islands as an extension of "British Australia", and it was not until the Napoleonic Wars that the British began to pay more attention to the region due to a sharp rise in the need for oil. As the British presence in New Zealand grew, so did their desire to civilize the Maori according to Western traditions. This led to the arrival of Christian missionaries, who were determined to preach the Gospel and convert the Maori to Christianity.
The first Christian service in New Zealand was conducted by Samuel Marsden on Christmas Day in 1814. Marsden, a British minister, believed that introducing European civilisation, culture, and industry to the Maori was the first step towards their conversion to Christianity. The missionaries brought with them innovations in literacy, agriculture, and trade, which had a significant impact on Maori communities. They also taught the Maori skills in carpentry, farming, and European technology.
The Maori's existing spiritual beliefs were either replaced or combined with Christian ideas. The missionaries tended to remain in New Zealand for many years, often becoming fluent in the Maori language. This allowed them to play a crucial political role as mediators and interpreters between the Maori and the government, especially during times of conflict.
In summary, Christian missionaries from Australia and Britain had a significant influence on the cultural, social, and spiritual landscape of New Zealand, particularly among the Maori communities. Their efforts to "civilize" and convert the Maori had a lasting impact on the country, shaping its history and development.
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Frequently asked questions
Great Britain.
The British initially established prison colonies in Australia for convicts from Great Britain.
The British colonized New Zealand in 1840, but they had been sporadically visiting the islands since the early 1800s. The Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, worked with the British in whaling and seal hunting.
European colonialism led to the extinction of some native species in Australia and the introduction of new species, giving the country a wide diversity of organisms. It also resulted in the displacement of Aboriginal people, who were placed under European supervision in group homes.
European colonialism influenced Maori culture, particularly with the introduction of Christianity. The British were often in conflict with the Maori.
