Work / monument · song

God Defend New Zealand

poem written in the 1870s; music 1876; Māori version 1878 · 19th century · Also known as Aotearoa

"God Defend New Zealand" began as a poem written in the 1870s by Thomas Bracken of Dunedin, an Irish-born immigrant raised in Victoria, Australia. In 1876 The Saturday Advertiser held a competition to set it to music, judged by three prominent Melbourne musicians, with a prize of ten guineas.

Songs in history

God Defend New Zealand1876

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). God Defend New Zealand. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/god-defend-new-zealand
MLA
“God Defend New Zealand.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/god-defend-new-zealand. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “God Defend New Zealand.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/god-defend-new-zealand.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘God Defend New Zealand’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/god-defend-new-zealand (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻