Skip to main content

Story: European discovery of New Zealand

Centennial stamp

Image
Centennial stamp

In 1940 New Zealand celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The one-penny stamp of the special centennial issue depicted Lieutenant James Cook, his ship Endeavour, and his map of New Zealand.

Using this item

New Zealand Post

Reference: 1940 Centenary of Proclamation of British Sovereignty stamp issue

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

John Wilson, European discovery of New Zealand – Cook’s achievement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/postage-stamp/1430/centennial-stamp (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 May 2016.