Story: Arts and the nation

Frontispiece and title page of the Discovery of New Zealand

Frontispiece and title page of the Discovery of New Zealand

The Discovery of New Zealand, written by J. C. Beaglehole, was published as one of the series of 11 history books produced by the Department of Internal Affairs in 1939 and 1940 to mark the nation's centennial. Beaglehole subsequently went on to edit the journals of English explorer James Cook and botanist Joseph Banks, and came to be regarded as the pre-eminent New Zealand historian of his generation. His interest in the discovery and exploration of New Zealand was characteristic of the cultural nationalists of the 1930s and 1940s. Reflecting their own sense of national discovery, they were interested in beginnings.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Reference: J.C. Beaglehole, The discovery of New Zealand. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs, 1939, frontispiece and title page

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Arts and the nation - Major themes of cultural nationalism, 1930 to 1970', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/45015/frontispiece-and-title-page-of-the-discovery-of-new-zealand (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 22 Oct 2014