Vincent O&#x27;Malley

2 May 2025

buttondown.com/unsettling #NZHistory

Vincent O'Malley reposted

12h

28 October marks the national day of commemoration for the New Zealand Wars – Te Pūtake o te Riri, He Rā Maumahara. It provides an opportunity to learn more about this period in Aotearoa's history. BWB has published a range of books that tell the history of these painful conflicts and their times.

buttondown.com'The Great War for New Zealand' Ten Years LaterTen years ago today my most important book was officially launched. The Great War for New Zealand: Waikato 1800-2000, published by Bridget Williams Books,...

Ten years ago today my big book on the invasion of Waikato was launched at Waahi Pā. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

Remember travelling on the Silver Fern overnight train service between Wellington and Auckland as a child (after catching the Rangatira ferry from Lyttelton to Wellington) and it was great. Still got this set of cards as a souvenir.

NZR used to give their employees and their families one free trip per year and my dad worked at Addington Railway Workshops building trains.

An advance copy of this turned up the other day and it looks great. Due out from @bwbnz.bsky.social in November.

buttondown.comRā Maumahara 2026 - Te Awamutu EventsRā Maumahara, the national day of remembrance for the New Zealand Wars, is coming up on 28 October and Te Awamutu Museum have organised a series of free...

Te Awamutu Museum is holding a series of events between 21-23 October to mark Rā Maumahara, the national day of remembrance for the NZ Wars, including guided bus tours to Rangiaowhia and Ōrākau, a screening of Ka Whawhai Tonu, and a talk from me. Full details here. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

1news.co.nzHistorian warns proposed job cuts will damage access to NZ's historyHistorians and archivists warn the cuts could see backlogs grow and items go neglected, as the Government says restructuring is needed for financial sustainability.

13 Sept

Good to see 1 News covering the staff cuts at Archives NZ and the National Library. www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/13/h...

buttondown.comAbolishing the Waitangi Tribunal and Cuts at Archives New Zealand and the National LibraryThe ACT party’s newly-announced policy to abolish the Waitangi Tribunal once it has completed hearing all historical inquiries may be deeply ill-informed....

11 Sept

"it is not as if te Tiriti o Waitangi has a time limit on it. And neither does the obligation on the Crown to honour it." buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

newsroom.co.nzGovernment slammed over job cuts at National LibraryHistorians count the cost of a proposed restructure at the National Library and Archives NZ

6 Sept

"As a country we pretty much suck at valuing and protecting our cultural heritage and this is just the latest example.” newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/07/g...

buttondown.comUnsettling archives access and a book giveawayThis newsletter was launched in March 2025. In my first post, I talked about how I saw this as an extension of my goal to help raise awareness of Aotearoa...

28 Aug

I've opened up some recent newsletter posts and am giving away some books. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

buttondown.comStolen BooksWhen it comes to AI, call me a sceptic. It doesn’t help that five of my books were illegally downloaded by Anthropic for AI ‘training’ purposes according to...

10 Aug

A piece I wrote the other day about AI and stolen books. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

Vincent O'Malley reposted

31 July

Come along to Unity Books Wellington at 4pm this Sunday for an in-store talk between Charlotte Macdonald and Richard Shaw, authors of the popular books Garrison World and The Good Settler.

buttondown.comThe Treaty of Waitangi CompanionI am pleased to share the news that a new edition of The Treaty of Waitangi Companion will be published by Bridget Williams Books this November. To pre-order...

30 July

A new edition of 'The Treaty of Waitangi Companion', to be published in November, includes coverage of a range of topics since the first edition in 2010 (now out of print), including the Treaty Principles Bill, Takutai Moana, and teaching Aotearoa NZ history. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

rnz.co.nzKupe and Cook: Names of new Cook Strait ferries announcedThe two new Cook Strait ferries will be named Kupe and Cook.

18 July

I assumed Winston named them after people from his childhood. 😄

Joanna Kidman@joannakidman.bsky.social

Lest we forget, Cook attempted to enter Wellington harbour on two occasions (once on the Endeavour and once on the Resolution) and failed both times. Not a good omen really. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

buttondown.comNZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-HikaLast Saturday I travelled up to Tāmaki Makaurau to attend the premiere of NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika at the iconic Capitol Cinema on Dominion Road...

15 July

Some photos from the launch of NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika last Saturday and links to additional content. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

buttondown.comEvicting Māori: Grey’s 9 July 1863 ProclamationOn 9 July 1863 a proclamation was issued by the government addressed to 'the natives of Mangere, Pukaki, Ihumatao, Te Kirikiri, Patumahoe, Pokeno, and...

9 July

On this day, 9 July 1863: Māori communities living in South Auckland are driven from their lands, three days ahead of the invasion of Waikato. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

rnz.co.nzNZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-HikaSATURDAY, 12PM. NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika combines the accounts of iwi historians and Dr Vincent O'Malley to tell the story of Waerenga-a-Hika.

8 July

Here's the trailer for NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika, available this Saturday from 12pm. www.rnz.co.nz/video/nz-war...

archives.govt.nzarchives.govt.nz

7 July

A great thing about Archives NZ moving into the Katherine Mansfield reading room in Wellington is they have now aligned their hours, including opening Saturday mornings from this month. But the other ANZ offices remain open 4 hours a day, which is a problem. www.archives.govt.nz/about-us/wha...

7 July

It's just not feasible to travel to Auckland (or Christchurch or Dunedin) for a week for a maximum 20 hours of research. So well done on extending access for researchers in Wellington but could we now review the reading room hours for the other centres?

buttondown.comNew Zealand Gazette IndexBack in 2022, when Archives New Zealand released its disastrous Collections search tool, many researchers despaired (or called for an inquiry). Collections...

12 June

The New Zealand Gazette Index is a real gamechanger that is going to open up this important resource for a whole range of people doing research on anything from genealogy through to Treaty claims, theses, or whatever. A bit like Papers Past has done for newspapers. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

buttondown.comNew Zealand Gazette IndexBack in 2022, when Archives New Zealand released its disastrous Collections search tool, many researchers despaired (or called for an inquiry). Collections...

12 June

buttondown.comGeorge Grey’s ‘Plan of Native Government’Over the years I have spent a fair bit of time researching Māori institutions of self-government, particularly in the nineteenth century. My first book, way...

5 June

"Far from being hierarchical, Māori decision-making bodies were far too democratic as far as some European observers were concerned, with entire communities of men, women and children involved in debating and deliberating on the issues of the day." buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

buttondown.comThe Waitangi Tribunal: Leading Conversations on Te Tiriti o WaitangiThe Waitangi Tribunal turned fifty last October, marking a half century since the passage of the Treaty of Waitangi Act in 1975. I posted about this at the...

22 May

My reflections on the Waitangi Tribunal's role in leading conversations on our history, fifty years after its establishment. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

Vincent O'Malley reposted

Stephen Clarke

@stephenclarkenz.bsky.social

5 May

Today . . . Between the Lines: Recent Books in NZ Studies Author Charlotte Macdonald in conversation with @vomalley.bsky.social & Peter Cooke When: Wed 6 May 4.10–5.10pm Where: Stout Research Centre + Livestream www.wgtn.ac.nz/stout-centre... @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social @bwbnz.bsky.social #history

nzherald.co.nzApp's new energy bill estimates stun Powershop customersMeridian encourages worried users to talk things through with the energy provider's team.

30 Apr

The new Powershop app is a total trainwreck. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/powershop...

buttondown.comGarrison World Roundtable EventI am taking part in a roundtable event at the Stout Research Centre on 6 May to discuss Charlotte Macdonald’s excellent recent book Garrison World: Redcoat...

24 Apr

I am taking part in a roundtable event at the Stout Research Centre on 6 May to discuss Charlotte Macdonald’s excellent recent book 'Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire'. Details and zoom link here: buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

15 Apr

Grateful to the protesters for reminding me I'm due for another booster soon.

henry cooke@henrycooke.bsky.social

Quite an array of protestors outside the Jacinda Ardern book event - also a huge line of punters waiting to get thru security.

Vincent O'Malley reposted

youtube.comInvasion! The Waikato War: The Featherston Booktown NZ War History seriesVincent O’Malley writes that war in the Waikato between July 1863 and April 1864 ‘goes to the very core of who we are as a nation’. The crippling legacy was ...

25 Mar

The 2026 Featherston Booktown line-up is out! Catch last year's Waikato War talk with Tom Roa, Joanna Kidman, James Belich and Vincent O'Malley – now available to watch online: youtube.com/watch?v=cge9bTANZyc

Vincent O'Malley reposted

11 Mar

The Auckland Writers Festival programme is out! Events with BWB authors include: Charlotte Macdonald, Vincent O'Malley, Asher Emanuel, Rebecca Macfie, Craig Renney and Max Harris. Book now: www.bwb.co.nz/events/bwb-aut...

writersfestival.co.nzVincent O’Malley: From Aotearoa New Zealand to the Emerald Isle • Auckland Writers Festival

11 Mar

Great to be taking part in the Auckland Writers Festival this year. Looks like a stellar lineup of writers. www.writersfestival.co.nz/programmes/e...

7 Mar

There's clearly no NZ political news or developments from the last couple of days that 1 News considers newsworthy.

6 Mar

Incredible that 1 News did not lead with the PM's leadership under threat.

6 Mar

15 minutes in, still nothing. To quote OMC, how bizarre.

6 Mar

Don't report that the PM's future in the position is highly uncertain because the poll result that led to the crisis came from an external source is not good journalism.

28 Feb

Ka kite Michael King Writers Centre.

25 Feb

Awesome!

Bridget Williams Books@bwbnz.bsky.social

Congratulations to Dame Claudia Orange on making the finalists for the Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau! nzawards.org.nz/awards/senio...

buttondown.comRemembering RangiaowhiaOn 21 February 1864 Crown forces attacked the settlement of Rangiaowhia. On the anniversary of that attack, this piece explains what happened that day and...

20 Feb

Remembering Rangiaowhia, 21 February 1864. buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

19 Feb

Great to be here. And thanks to everyone who came along to my talk at Devonport Library last night.

Bridget Williams Books@bwbnz.bsky.social

Author Vincent O'Malley is currently in residence at the Michael King Writers Centre in Devonport, working on his next project: 'Whenua – Māori Land Loss Since 1840'.

youtube.comInvasion! The Waikato War: The Featherston Booktown NZ War History seriesYouTube video by Featherston Booktown

6 Feb

Our session from the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival last year on the invasion of Waikato is now available to view, featuring Joanna Kidman, Tom Roa, James Belich and me. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cge9...

rnz.co.nzBook review: Three of the best from 2025Paul Diamond reviews three of his favourite books from last year.

5 Feb

In very good company here!

Bridget Williams Books@bwbnz.bsky.social

'Three of the best from 2025' Paul Diamond includes Charlotte Macdonald's 'Garrison World' and Vincent O'Malley's 'Meeting Place' in a review of three favourite books from last year. www.rnz.co.nz/national/progr...

events.humanitix.comDr Vincent O'Malley Auckland and the Invasion of the WaikatoDr Vincent O’Malley argues that it was in the invasion of Waikato in 1863, and not either world war, that was the defining conflict in New Zealand history.

29 Jan

As my first talk at Devonport Library filled up very quickly, I have agreed to do a second session a few days later, on 22 February. Link to book free tickets here: events.humanitix.com/dr-vincent-o...

19 Jan

If you are in the area, get along to the Fred Graham exhibition on at Pātaka, Porirua, till 10 May. It's great. pataka.org.nz/whats-on/exh...

Vincent O'Malley reposted

16 Jan

📢 Upcoming Event – Vincent O'Malley: Auckland and the Invasion of the Waikato 📢 Join Vincent O'Malley as he explores how the invasion of Waikato played out in Tāmaki Makaurau and the legacy it left behind. ⏰ 18 February, 6.30pm 📍 Devonport Library 📚 Free entry events.humanitix.com/dr-vinc...

nzherald.co.nz‘Noise is not the same as progress’: Te reo leader’s warning after royal honourProfessor Tom Roa has been fighting for te reo Māori for more than 50 years.

31 Dec 2025

Wonderful to see this recognition for Matua Tom Roa. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-year-...

meetingplace.nzUnsettling NewsletterAotearoa New Zealand history with Dr Vincent O'Malley. The New Zealand Wars, the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti, Māori and Pākehā relations and more

29 Dec 2025

A recap of some of the content from my newsletter launched in March. www.meetingplace.nz/2025/12/unse...

christchurchartgallery.org.nzKā Whakatauraki: The PromisesA landmark exhibition bringing together the ten Ngāi Tahu land sale purchase deeds.

27 Dec 2025

An important exhibition to see if you are near Ōtautahi this summer. Kā Whakatauraki: The Promises, at Christchurch Art Gallery, displays the ten deeds signed between 1844 and 1864 that saw 34.5 million acres pass out of Ngāi Tahu ownership. christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/...

22 Dec 2025

Especially relevant in NZ, where funding for the Archives NZ digitisation programme of official records was axed in 2024.

Erin Grievances@erinbartram.bsky.social

When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.