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NZ Scholarship History study materials
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NZ Scholarship History practice questions

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Question 1Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which development most directly prompted the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s in the North Island?

  1. The discovery of gold in Otago and the resulting rush of miners
  2. A dispute over the location of the new capital city
  3. Pressure to open Māori land to settler settlement and the rise of the Kīngitanga movement Correct answer.
  4. The withdrawal of British imperial troops from the colony

Explanation

The wars of the 1860s grew out of settler and Crown demand for Māori land, especially in the Waikato, and the emergence of the Kīngitanga as a movement to protect Māori authority over land and governance. The invasion of Waikato in 1863 was justified by the Crown in these terms. Gold rushes and the capital question were separate colonial developments.

Question 2Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in which year?

  1. 1835
  2. 1840 Correct answer.
  3. 1852
  4. 1845

Explanation

The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, with further signatures collected around the country. It is regarded as the founding document of the colonial relationship between Māori and the Crown. The other dates mark different events in New Zealand history.

Question 3Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What was the principal purpose of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852?

  1. To establish representative settler government with a General Assembly and provinces Correct answer.
  2. To formally annex the South Island to New South Wales
  3. To abolish the provincial system entirely
  4. To grant Māori men the vote in national elections

Explanation

The 1852 Act created a settler-dominated General Assembly with an appointed Legislative Council and elected House of Representatives, along with provincial councils. It provided the framework for self-government in the colony. The provincial system was not abolished until 1876, and the Act did not extend the franchise to Māori.

Question 4Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which event is conventionally taken as the start of the 1917 Russian Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power?

  1. The storming of the Winter Palace in November Correct answer.
  2. The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
  3. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
  4. The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March

Explanation

The November 1917 (October by the old calendar) seizure of power in Petrograd, including the storming of the Winter Palace, is the event that installed the Bolshevik government. The Tsar's abdication in March had already ended the monarchy and established the Provisional Government. Brest-Litovsk was a later peace treaty.

Question 5Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which leader is most associated with the policy of 'Blood and Iron' in the unification of Germany?

  1. Cavour
  2. Garibaldi
  3. Metternich
  4. Bismarck Correct answer.

Explanation

Otto von Bismarck, Prussian Minister-President, used diplomacy and war to unify Germany under Prussian leadership, and his phrase 'blood and iron' referred to the necessity of military strength. Garibaldi and Cavour were figures in Italian unification. Metternich was an Austrian conservative statesman of the earlier period.

Question 6Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which term describes the economic policy of extending a nation's power through the acquisition of colonies in the late nineteenth century?

  1. Mercantilism
  2. Imperialism Correct answer.
  3. Containment
  4. Isolationism

Explanation

Imperialism refers to the extension of a state's authority over other territories and peoples, and the late nineteenth century saw intensified European competition for colonies. Mercantilism is an earlier economic doctrine based on trade balances, isolationism is a policy of non-involvement, and containment is a Cold War strategy.

Question 7Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

The 1848 revolutions in Europe are best characterised as which of the following?

  1. A wave of liberal and nationalist revolts against conservative monarchical order Correct answer.
  2. A coordinated socialist uprising directed by the First International
  3. A peasant rebellion confined to the Russian Empire
  4. A religious conflict between Catholic and Protestant states

Explanation

The 1848 upheavals spread across France, the German states, Italy and the Habsburg lands, driven by liberal demands for constitutions and nationalist aspirations for unified or independent states. They largely failed and conservative order was restored. They were not coordinated by the First International, which was founded later.

Question 8Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best defines a 'primary source' in historical research?

  1. A museum display explaining an event to the public
  2. Material produced at or near the time of the event under study Correct answer.
  3. A textbook summary of an event written by a later historian
  4. A scholarly article that reviews other historians' interpretations

Explanation

A primary source is evidence generated contemporaneously with, or by participants in, the event being studied, such as letters, official records, photographs or artefacts. It may still require interpretation and contextualisation. Textbooks, review articles and museum displays are secondary interpretations.

Question 9Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A historian argues that the 1893 extension of the vote to women in New Zealand resulted mainly from the organisational pressure of the suffrage movement and its alliances with temperance campaigners. Which type of explanation does this represent?

  1. A diplomatic interpretation emphasising international relations
  2. A political and social-movement interpretation emphasising organised pressure Correct answer.
  3. An economic interpretation emphasising labour-market change
  4. A demographic interpretation emphasising population imbalance

Explanation

The explanation foregrounds organised campaigning, petitioning and alliances, which is a political and social-movement reading of the reform. It does not rely on economic change, population structure or foreign affairs. Identifying the type of interpretation is a key analytical skill in evaluating historians' arguments.

Question 10Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

In evaluating a historical source, which question is most directly concerned with the source's provenance?

  1. What does the source say about the event?
  2. How does it compare with other accounts?
  3. Who produced it, when, and for what audience? Correct answer.
  4. How reliable is the information it contains?

Explanation

Provenance concerns a source's origins: its author, date, circumstances of creation and intended audience. This is distinct from content, reliability and corroboration, though all are related in source criticism. Establishing provenance is often the first step in assessing how a source might be used.

Question 11Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which factor best explains the rapid growth of British settlement in New Zealand after 1840?

  1. The discovery of large mineral deposits in the North Island
  2. Organised colonisation schemes and the availability of Māori land for purchase Correct answer.
  3. The withdrawal of the French from the Pacific
  4. The establishment of a gold standard currency

Explanation

Systematic colonisation companies, notably the New Zealand Company, and Crown purchases of land encouraged and financed settlement. Immigration schemes and land availability were central to population growth. Mineral discoveries came later and were regionally concentrated, and French activity is not a major explanatory factor.

Question 12Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A candidate comparing two accounts of the Waikato War finds one written by a British officer and one by a Māori participant. What is the most appropriate analytical response?

  1. Use both critically, considering each account's purpose, audience and position Correct answer.
  2. Prefer the British account because it was written by an official
  3. Reject both accounts as inherently biased
  4. Prefer the Māori account because it is more authentic

Explanation

Historical analysis requires critical use of multiple perspectives, weighing each source's purpose, audience and standpoint rather than assuming one is automatically superior. Both accounts can provide valuable evidence when contextualised. Rejecting all sources as biased would make historical reconstruction impossible.

Question 13Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which best describes the significance of the 1852 Constitution Act for Māori representation in the colonial parliament?

  1. It made Māori the majority of the provincial councils
  2. It effectively excluded most Māori from the franchise through property qualifications Correct answer.
  3. It gave Māori control of the Legislative Council
  4. It guaranteed reserved Māori seats in the House of Representatives

Explanation

The 1852 Act set individual property qualifications for voting that excluded most Māori, who held land collectively. Reserved Māori seats were not created until 1867. Māori did not control the Legislative Council, which was appointed, and they were a small minority on provincial councils.

Question 14Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best explains why the Kīngitanga movement was founded in the 1850s?

  1. To organise Māori resistance to land loss and assert a central Māori authority Correct answer.
  2. To support the British Crown in its wars against other iwi
  3. To campaign for Māori representation in the colonial parliament
  4. To establish a separate Māori church independent of missionaries

Explanation

The Kīngitanga, with Pōtatau Te Wherowhero selected as the first Māori King in 1858, was intended to create a unifying authority that could protect Māori land and resist settler encroachment. It was not primarily about parliamentary representation or religious independence. It represented a challenge to Crown authority rather than support for it.

Question 15Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What was the main consequence of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975?

  1. It transferred ownership of all foreshore and seabed to Māori
  2. It created the Waitangi Tribunal to hear claims about breaches of the Treaty Correct answer.
  3. It settled all historical Treaty claims in a single process
  4. It abolished the Māori Land Court

Explanation

The 1975 Act established the Waitangi Tribunal to inquire into claims that the Crown had breached the Treaty. Its jurisdiction was initially limited to claims from 1975 onwards and was extended to historical claims by a 1985 amendment. It did not settle all claims at once or deal with the foreshore and seabed.

Question 16Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A student claims that the Treaty of Waitangi's English and Māori texts say exactly the same thing. Which difference best challenges this claim?

  1. The Māori text was written in 1841
  2. The English text mentions the Treaty of Versailles
  3. The English text lists the names of all signatory chiefs
  4. The Māori text uses 'kāwanatanga' for governance while the English text refers to sovereignty Correct answer.

Explanation

The Māori text grants the Crown 'kāwanatanga' (governance) while the English text speaks of sovereignty, a difference central to later Treaty interpretation and the Tribunal's findings. This textual discrepancy is a fundamental issue in Treaty analysis. The other options are factually incorrect.

Question 17Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which development best explains the shift from imperial to colonial responsibility for New Zealand's defence in the 1860s and 1870s?

  1. The withdrawal of British troops and the growth of settler militia and constabulary Correct answer.
  2. The signing of an alliance with the United States
  3. The permanent stationing of the Royal Navy in New Zealand waters
  4. The abolition of the colonial armed forces

Explanation

Imperial troops were progressively withdrawn, notably from 1865, and the colony increasingly relied on its own militia, constabulary and later the Armed Constabulary. This shift reflected both imperial priorities and colonial self-government. New Zealand had no alliance with the United States, and colonial forces were not abolished.

Question 18Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which statement best captures the concept of 'historiography'?

  1. The study of how history has been written and interpreted over time Correct answer.
  2. The excavation of archaeological sites
  3. The collection of primary documents in an archive
  4. The chronological listing of events in order

Explanation

Historiography is the study of historical writing itself: how interpretations have changed, what methods and assumptions historians have used, and how schools of thought have developed. It is distinct from chronology, archival collection and archaeology, though it draws on these. Understanding historiography supports critical evaluation of secondary sources.

Question 19Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best explains the significance of the 1867 Māori Representation Act?

  1. It established the Māori Land Court
  2. It created four reserved Māori seats in the House of Representatives Correct answer.
  3. It abolished the provincial councils
  4. It granted universal suffrage to all adults

Explanation

The 1867 Act created four reserved Māori seats, initially for a five-year period, giving Māori men a form of parliamentary representation despite property qualifications. Universal suffrage did not exist at the time. The Māori Land Court was established in 1865 and provincial councils were abolished in 1876.

Question 20Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A historian argues that the 1848 revolutions failed because liberal nationalists were divided and conservative rulers retained control of armies. Which form of reasoning does this exemplify?

  1. Chronological narrative listing events in sequence
  2. Primary source transcription
  3. Causal explanation identifying structural and contingent factors Correct answer.
  4. Comparative description without explanation

Explanation

The argument identifies causes of failure, distinguishing divisions among revolutionaries from the coercive advantage of conservative rulers. This is causal explanation combining contingent and structural factors. It is not mere chronology, description without explanation, or transcription of sources.

Question 21Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best explains the role of the Native Land Court after 1865?

  1. It returned confiscated land to all Māori owners
  2. It advised the Governor on military strategy
  3. It managed the colony's immigration policy
  4. It converted Māori customary title into individualised Crown-recognised titles Correct answer.

Explanation

The Native Land Court, established in 1865, investigated Māori customary ownership and issued individualised titles, which made land easier to alienate through sale. It did not restore confiscated land or handle immigration or military advice. Its operations are central to understanding nineteenth-century Māori land loss.

Question 22Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which interpretation best explains why the Waitangi Tribunal's historical jurisdiction was extended in 1985?

  1. To limit claims to events after 1975
  2. To allow inquiry into Crown actions dating back to 1840 Correct answer.
  3. To transfer Tribunal powers to the Māori Land Court
  4. To remove the Tribunal's power to make recommendations

Explanation

The 1985 amendment extended the Tribunal's jurisdiction to historical claims back to 1840, enabling inquiry into long-standing grievances. It did not restrict claims to the post-1975 period or transfer powers elsewhere. This change was fundamental to the modern settlement process.

Question 23Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A candidate is asked to assess the reliability of a colonial newspaper report on a battle in the New Zealand Wars. Which consideration is most analytically sound?

  1. The report is reliable because newspapers were official government publications
  2. The report is reliable because it was published soon after the battle
  3. The report is worthless because it appeared in a newspaper
  4. The report reflects its author's access, sympathies and the conventions of colonial reporting Correct answer.

Explanation

Reliability depends on the reporter's access to events, their standpoint and the conventions and pressures of colonial journalism, not simply on speed of publication or medium. Newspapers were not official government publications. Dismissing all newspaper evidence would discard valuable contemporaneous material.

Question 24Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which factor most convincingly explains the long-term economic marginalisation of Māori communities after the nineteenth-century land sales?

  1. The absence of any Māori participation in the cash economy
  2. The refusal of Māori to engage in agriculture
  3. The immediate industrialisation of the New Zealand economy
  4. The concentration of land ownership and loss of land-based economic resources Correct answer.

Explanation

Land loss removed the resource base for many Māori communities, and the concentration of ownership into settler hands limited economic opportunities over the long term. Māori did participate in the cash economy and in agriculture, often successfully before land loss. New Zealand did not industrialise rapidly in this period.

Question 25Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which statement best evaluates the claim that the Treaty of Waitangi was 'a simple cession of sovereignty'?

  1. It is contested because the Māori and English texts differ and the Treaty's status in law has evolved Correct answer.
  2. It is irrelevant because the Treaty has no legal significance
  3. It is fully supported because the English text is the authoritative version
  4. It is proven because all chiefs signed the English text

Explanation

The claim is contested: the Māori text's 'kāwanatanga' differs from the English 'sovereignty', and the Treaty's legal and constitutional status has developed through statutes, court decisions and Tribunal findings. The English text is not simply authoritative, and the Treaty has significant legal relevance. Most chiefs signed the Māori text.

Question 26Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

In New Zealand historiography, what does the term 'Māori Renaissance' most commonly describe?

  1. The revival of Māori language, culture and political activism from the 1970s onward Correct answer.
  2. The establishment of the Kīngitanga in the 1850s
  3. The return of confiscated land under the 1863 Settlements Act
  4. The demographic recovery of Māori population after the 1918 influenza pandemic

Explanation

The Māori Renaissance refers to the cultural and political resurgence from around the 1970s, associated with movements such as the Māori protest movement, the establishment of kōhanga reo, and the Waitangi Tribunal's growing role. It is a late twentieth-century phenomenon, distinct from earlier demographic or political developments.

Question 27Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following is the best example of a secondary source for a study of the New Zealand Wars?

  1. A map drawn by a surveyor in 1860
  2. A letter written by a soldier during the Waikato campaign
  3. A 2010 monograph analysing the causes of the Taranaki War Correct answer.
  4. A photograph taken at a military camp in 1864

Explanation

A secondary source interprets or analyses primary evidence after the events, such as a modern scholarly monograph. The other options are all contemporary artefacts produced during the period under study, making them primary sources.

Question 28Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What was the purpose of the Māori Representation Act 1867?

  1. To establish the Native Land Court
  2. To abolish the provincial councils
  3. To ratify the Treaty of Waitangi
  4. To create four Māori seats in the House of Representatives Correct answer.

Explanation

The Māori Representation Act 1867 created four Māori electorates, giving Māori men the right to vote and stand for Parliament. It was passed partly in response to pressure and concerns about Māori participation in the political system.

Question 29Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which concept describes a historian's conscious effort to understand past beliefs and values on their own terms rather than judging them by present standards?

  1. Historical empathy Correct answer.
  2. Teleology
  3. Presentism
  4. Anachronism

Explanation

Historical empathy involves reconstructing the perspectives and context of people in the past without imposing modern assumptions. Presentism and anachronism describe the error of judging the past by present standards, while teleology reads history as inevitably leading to a predetermined outcome.

Question 30Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which event is conventionally used to mark the beginning of the New Zealand Wars?

  1. The outbreak of fighting at Waitara in 1860 Correct answer.
  2. The Wairau Affray of 1843
  3. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840
  4. The invasion of the Waikato in 1863

Explanation

The New Zealand Wars are conventionally dated from the outbreak of conflict at Waitara in Taranaki in 1860, though the Wairau Affray of 1843 is sometimes treated as a precursor. The Waitara conflict marked the start of sustained warfare between colonial and imperial forces and Māori.

Question 31Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What does the term 'Whakapapa' refer to in Māori historical knowledge?

  1. A ritual of welcome on a marae
  2. A court process for determining land ownership
  3. A system of genealogical descent linking people to ancestors and the land Correct answer.
  4. A form of traditional carving used to record battles

Explanation

Whakapapa is the genealogical framework that connects individuals to ancestors, to the land, and to the wider natural world. It is central to Māori historical knowledge and identity, and is distinct from carving, land court procedure, or pōwhiri.

Question 32Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best describes the role of the Waitangi Tribunal?

  1. It decides criminal cases involving Māori defendants
  2. It hears claims that the Crown has breached the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Correct answer.
  3. It manages the sale of Māori land
  4. It drafts legislation relating to Māori affairs

Explanation

The Waitangi Tribunal, established in 1975, investigates claims that the Crown has acted inconsistently with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and makes recommendations. It does not exercise criminal jurisdiction, draft legislation, or administer land sales.

Question 33Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following is a characteristic of oral history as a source for historians?

  1. It is only produced by professional historians
  2. It is always less reliable than written records
  3. It cannot be used in academic historical writing
  4. It preserves memory and perspective but is shaped by the context of the telling Correct answer.

Explanation

Oral history preserves memory, voice and perspective, but historians must consider how recollection is shaped by the context of the interview and the passage of time. It is a legitimate and widely used source, not inherently inferior to written records.

Question 34Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A historian claims that the Treaty of Waitangi was 'a simple cession of sovereignty'. Which evidence most directly challenges this claim?

  1. The Treaty was signed by more than 500 Māori chiefs
  2. The Treaty was translated by Henry Williams
  3. The Treaty was signed at Waitangi on 6 February 1840
  4. The Māori text uses the term 'kāwanatanga' for governance while retaining 'rangatiratanga' for Māori authority Correct answer.

Explanation

The Māori text's retention of 'rangatiratanga' alongside a cession of 'kāwanatanga' is the key textual evidence that the Treaty was not a simple transfer of sovereignty. The other facts are historically accurate but do not directly address the meaning of the cession.

Question 35Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which factor best explains the rapid growth of the kauri timber industry in nineteenth-century New Zealand?

  1. The introduction of refrigeration
  2. The discovery of gold in Otago
  3. The demand for construction timber in Auckland and overseas markets Correct answer.
  4. The establishment of the Native Land Court

Explanation

Kauri logging expanded because of strong demand for construction timber in the growing settlement of Auckland and for export, particularly to Australia. Gold, refrigeration and the Native Land Court relate to other sectors and periods.

Question 36Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What was the significance of the 1898 Old Age Pensions Act in New Zealand?

  1. It introduced a means-tested pension funded by the state Correct answer.
  2. It was the first universal superannuation scheme in the world
  3. It provided pensions only to Māori
  4. It established the country's first public hospital system

Explanation

The Old Age Pensions Act 1898 introduced a means-tested pension paid from general taxation, making New Zealand an early pioneer of state welfare. It was not universal, not a hospital scheme, and not restricted to Māori.

Question 37Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which statement best explains the significance of the 1938 Social Security Act?

  1. It introduced compulsory military training
  2. It nationalised all private banks
  3. It ended the use of the gold standard
  4. It created a comprehensive welfare system including health, unemployment and superannuation benefits Correct answer.

Explanation

The Social Security Act 1938 consolidated and expanded welfare provision, including health benefits, unemployment benefits and superannuation, and is a landmark of the first Labour government. It did not nationalise banks, end the gold standard, or introduce conscription.

Question 38Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A candidate is comparing a Māori account of the Battle of Ōrākau with a colonial newspaper report. Which analytical move best strengthens the comparison?

  1. Treating the newspaper as objective because it was printed
  2. Averaging the two accounts to produce a neutral version
  3. Treating the Māori account as unreliable because it was oral
  4. Examining the purpose, audience and context of each account before weighing their claims Correct answer.

Explanation

Sound historical comparison requires examining the provenance, purpose and audience of each source before assessing reliability. Neither print nor orality is inherently superior, and averaging accounts does not resolve conflicting evidence.

Question 39Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best describes the policy of 'provincial government' in New Zealand between 1853 and 1876?

  1. A system of Māori self-government under the Kīngitanga
  2. A system of appointed governors ruling each province
  3. A system of elected provincial councils with substantial local powers Correct answer.
  4. A system of direct rule from London

Explanation

The provinces established under the 1852 Constitution Act were elected bodies with significant powers over land, immigration and public works until their abolition in 1876. They were not appointed governorships, Kīngitanga structures, or direct imperial rule.

Question 40Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which factor most directly explains the shift in New Zealand's export economy toward frozen meat and dairy products after 1882?

  1. The invention of the telegraph
  2. The discovery of gold in Otago
  3. The successful shipment of frozen meat to Britain on the Dunedin Correct answer.
  4. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi

Explanation

The 1882 shipment of frozen meat to Britain on the Dunedin demonstrated that perishable exports could reach distant markets, transforming New Zealand's pastoral economy. Telegraphy, gold and the Treaty are not the direct cause of this shift.

Question 41Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

What was the main purpose of the 1846 New Zealand Constitution Act?

  1. To annex New Zealand to New South Wales
  2. To establish the Waitangi Tribunal
  3. To grant representative government to the New Zealand colony Correct answer.
  4. To create the Māori seats in Parliament

Explanation

The 1846 Constitution Act was intended to grant representative government, though its implementation was suspended and it was largely superseded by the 1852 Constitution Act. It did not create the Waitangi Tribunal or the Māori seats.

Question 42Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which interpretation best explains the significance of the 1985 amendment to the Treaty of Waitangi Act?

  1. It abolished the Tribunal
  2. It transferred Tribunal powers to the High Court
  3. It restricted claims to events after 1975
  4. It allowed the Tribunal to consider claims dating back to 1840 Correct answer.

Explanation

The 1985 amendment extended the Tribunal's jurisdiction to historical claims dating back to 1840, rather than only contemporary grievances after 1975. This greatly expanded the scope of Treaty settlement and historical inquiry.

Question 43Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'mana whenua'?

  1. The right of the Crown to purchase land
  2. The right of any Māori to fish in traditional waters
  3. The legal title issued by the Native Land Court
  4. The customary authority of a group over land through descent and occupation Correct answer.

Explanation

Mana whenua denotes the customary authority a group holds over land through whakapapa and long occupation. It is distinct from Crown pre-emption, court-issued title, and fishing rights.

Question 44Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A historian argues that the 1951 waterfront dispute showed the strength of the state against organised labour. Which evidence best supports this interpretation?

  1. The dispute involved 22,000 waterside workers
  2. The union eventually won major concessions
  3. The dispute led to the formation of the Labour Party
  4. The government used emergency regulations and the armed forces to break the strike Correct answer.

Explanation

The use of emergency regulations, the deployment of troops to handle cargo, and the eventual defeat of the watersiders support the interpretation that the state prevailed. Union victory, the size of the workforce, or party formation do not support that claim.

Question 45Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which of the following best explains the significance of the 1975 Treaty of Waitangi Act?

  1. It returned all confiscated land to Māori
  2. It settled all historical Treaty claims
  3. It created the Waitangi Tribunal and allowed claims about Crown actions after 1975 Correct answer.
  4. It made the Treaty enforceable in the courts

Explanation

The 1975 Act established the Waitangi Tribunal and gave it jurisdiction over claims about Crown actions from 1975 onward, a scope later extended in 1985. It did not settle claims, return land, or make the Treaty directly enforceable in the courts.

Question 46Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which statement best evaluates the claim that New Zealand's involvement in the First World War was purely a matter of imperial loyalty?

  1. It is fully accurate because New Zealand had no independent foreign policy
  2. It is too simple because economic, strategic and domestic political factors also shaped the decision to contribute troops Correct answer.
  3. It is wrong because New Zealand was not part of the British Empire
  4. It is accurate only for the period after 1916

Explanation

While imperial loyalty was significant, New Zealand's contribution was also shaped by strategic calculations, trade ties, domestic politics and the desire for a voice in imperial affairs. The claim that New Zealand was outside the Empire is factually wrong.

Question 47Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

A candidate argues that the Native Land Court accelerated Māori land loss. Which mechanism best supports this argument?

  1. The Court awarded land to Māori in collective title that could not be sold
  2. The Court converted customary title into individualised freehold titles that were readily alienable Correct answer.
  3. The Court returned confiscated land to Māori owners
  4. The Court prohibited all land sales to Europeans

Explanation

The Native Land Court individualised customary tenure into freehold titles that could be sold, mortgaged or partitioned, facilitating alienation. It did not protect land in inalienable collective title, prohibit sales, or return confiscated land.

Question 48Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which factor best explains the long-term economic marginalisation of Māori communities after the nineteenth century?

  1. A deliberate policy of excluding Māori from education
  2. The refusal of Māori to engage in agriculture
  3. The absence of Māori participation in wage labour
  4. The loss of land and resources through Crown purchase, confiscation and the Native Land Court Correct answer.

Explanation

The cumulative loss of land and resources through Crown purchase, confiscation and the individualisation of title under the Native Land Court deprived many Māori communities of their economic base. Māori did participate in wage labour, education and agriculture, so those options are factually wrong.

Question 49Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which statement best evaluates the argument that the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi was a straightforward transfer of sovereignty?

  1. It is convincing because Māori chiefs understood English law
  2. It is unconvincing because the Māori text cedes 'kāwanatanga' while affirming 'rangatiratanga', creating enduring interpretive dispute Correct answer.
  3. It is unconvincing because the Treaty was never signed by any chief
  4. It is convincing because the English text uses the word 'sovereignty'

Explanation

The divergence between the English and Māori texts, particularly the cession of kāwanatanga against the retention of rangatiratanga, is the central reason the Treaty cannot be read as a straightforward transfer of sovereignty. The claim that no chief signed is factually false.

Question 50Historical content (to be confirmed from official assessment specifications)

Which development best explains the shift from imperial to colonial responsibility for New Zealand's defence in the 1860s?

  1. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
  2. The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal
  3. The discovery of gold in Otago
  4. The withdrawal of imperial troops as Britain sought to reduce colonial defence costs Correct answer.

Explanation

Britain's desire to reduce the expense of imperial garrisons led to the withdrawal of troops and pressure on the colony to assume responsibility for its own defence. The Treaty, gold and the Tribunal are not explanations for this shift.