In March 1878 the premier, Sir George Grey, heard 'God defend New Zealand' sung at a civic welcome, and was so impressed that he asked Thomas Henry Smith, a retired judge of the Māori Land Court, to translate it into Māori. This version, entitled 'Aotearoa', was received by Grey in October 1878 and published in Otago newspapers that month.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference:
GNZM 554a
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