The flag of the United Tribes is chosen
- When
- 20 March 1834
- Where
- Waitangi
- Reach
- Several regions
Twenty-five northern rangatira selected a national flag so that New Zealand-built ships could be registered and trade legally.
The immediate problem was practical: a trading ship built at Hokianga had been impounded in Sydney for sailing without a recognised flag. The solution had larger implications, because choosing a flag meant acting collectively as a nation. The design was recognised by the Admiralty, and the gathering that chose it became the nucleus of the confederation that declared independence the following year.
Regions affected
Sources
Written for this project from these references rather than copied from them. Follow a link to check the account against the original.
Related
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