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Story: Anniversaries

Bishop Vercoe's speech at Waitangi, 1990

The words spoken by Bishop Whakahuihui Vercoe, the Anglican bishop of Aotearoa, at Waitangi on 6 February 1990, have become one of the most famous speeches in New Zealand history. Before Queen Elizabeth, many dignitaries and a large crowd, and on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Bishop Vercoe suggested that New Zealand had failed to honour the treaty, and had marginalised Māori, one partner to it. Watch an excerpt from Bishop Vercoe's speech.

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TVNZ Television New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Anniversaries – Sesquicentennial, 1990, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/43033/bishop-vercoes-speech-at-waitangi-1990 (accessed 6 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 14 October 2013.

Comments

Harriet
30 May 2018
Kia ora Sam, please contact TVNZ Television New Zealand for a full length version and permission to screen it. Thank you.
Harriet
30 May 2018
Thank you for your comment. I'm sorry you're having trouble viewing this. It isn't in Flash, please try this URL if you are still having trouble: https://teara.govt.nz/files/43033-tvnz-h.mp4. Thanks.
Paul Arthur
07 February 2018
Hi, after hearing Bishop Vercoe's, speech from 1990 at Waitangi on National Radio yesterday, i wanted to play it back to my 14 year old son. I was unable - Adobe Flash being a requirement. I am unable to install Flash on my computer, as it has too many vulnerabilities (i do security). Is it possible to hear/view this taonga in another (future-proof) format ? Thanks, Paul.
Sam Henare
02 February 2018
Kia ora I was just wondering if there was a full length of this video that I could view? Also is it legal to show this video in a church setting as part of a preach? Thanks!