New Zealand is a nation of immigrants. Each has their own unique story and history.
Our DNA may be embedded in the far west of Ireland or in any location in the world, but importantly we identify as New Zealanders. This is what creates our sense of nationhood.
All New Zealanders have personal stories to tell of their family origins. Each is different.
Our family is one of those. My mother came from County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. She was a nurse in London during World War 2.
My father’s parents were born in Scotland, coming to New Zealand as immigrants at relatively young ages. He graduated from the Otago Medical School and in 1944 was enlisted as a doctor in the NZ Army medical corps with the Maori Battalion. Following the war he travelled to London to continue with and complete his surgical studies.
My parents met during this time and were married in 1947. They started their new life in New Zealand in 1950, many others having arrived at the same time.
For my father it was a homecoming, but for my mother it was a distant and unknown country far from her homeland.
New Zealand is an attractive destination for many reasons. It has a large land area with a small population. A temperate climate and fertile soils make it ideal for agriculture, horticulture, crop growing and so forth. It has outstanding natural beauty and grandeur. We have no immediate external threats and our isolation can be advantageous, as was the case with the recent pandemic. We rally round well when there are national emergencies and are very good at supporting those in the community who are less fortunate.
New Zealand is an amalgam of many peoples, with Maori being the original inhabitants. Their culture has a rich tapestry of music, dance and carving, allied with particular customs and traditions.
A special feature of New Zealand is the extent that Maori and subsequent immigrants have integrated, as reflected in extremely high levels of inter-marriage. Considerable progress has been made during the past 30 years to address historical Maori grievances and settle land disputes. New Zealanders in general exhibit a sense of fairness and respect in their dealings.
Scottish bagpipes resonate particularly in southern New Zealand. Most of us are familiar with the haunting quality of Gaelic music. Pasifika culture is deeply embedded, especially in Auckland. Chinese new year celebrations take place throughout the country. An increasing Indian population has added vibrancy and colour that is much evident at international cricket matches.
New Zealand though has not fared so well in the university and academic sphere. Recent world QS ratings place Auckland University at 68th and the University of Otago at 206th.
If being awarded a Nobel prize is a benchmark for intellectual excellence, then our achievements are quite modest. There have been three New Zealand-born Nobel prize winners — Ernest Rutherford 1908 (chemistry), Maurice Wilkins 1962 (physiology) and Alan MacDiarmid 2000 (chemistry). All of them achieved this distinction while living and working overseas.
The question needs to be asked — what could we be doing better? Are our universities nurturing and encouraging critical thinkers or have they largely become processing centres?
There have been writers of quality over the years with Janet Frame perhaps our greatest novelist. A high level of literary achievement was recognised in 2013, when Eleanor Catton was awarded the Booker prize for her novel The Luminaries.
Colin McCahon, Rita Angus and Ralph Hotere are a few of our notable painters. Douglas Lilburn was instrumental in the establishment of the national orchestra in 1946 and for many years Dame Kiri Te Kanawa graced the world’s opera stages.
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies have garnered huge, worldwide attention and been a welcome addition for our tourist industry in promoting our country’s magnificent landscapes. A production based on the character Gollum is currently in the pipeline.
Current economic times are challenging. The nation is experiencing a period of austerity. The past suggests these challenges will be met, but patience is needed.
Much more unites than divides us. We have reason to take pride in being New Zealanders.
Ours is a cohesive, harmonious existence. The Kiwi way of life has much to commend it.
— Joss Miller is a retired Dunedin lawyer.
