Image of Constitution Room courtesy of archives.govt.nz
February 6 marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This historic
event took place in Aotearoa in 1840 when representatives of the British
Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs signed what is today referred to as 'New
Zealand’s founding document' . The day was first officially commemorated in
1934, and it has been a public holiday since 1974.
A copy of the Treaty of Waitangi is on permanent display in the
Constitution Room at Archives New Zealand and can be viewed online at this
site. Information regarding the background and context within which
the Treaty was signed is included.
NZ History online site which provides lists of signatories to each of the
nine copies of the Treaty on display in the Constitution Room. Each
list includes tribal affiliations of the signatory (where known) and images
of the original signatories.
