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When Did New Zealand Gain Independence From Britain?

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    NZ became an independent dominion (self-governing overseas territory) in 1907.  Full independence came, depending on how you look at it, in either 1931, 1947 or still not quite.  1931 Westminster granted NZ the right to independence.  Not until 1947 did the New Zealand Parliament actually decide to accept the offer.  But the British Queen is still officially head of state (NZ is a constitutional monarchy).  So in a way, the British government still exerts political influence in NZ via the Queen.

    However, there was an early New Zealand Declaration of Independence, signed in 1835.  It was a proclamation by the indigenous tribes of the islands.    It was signed in front of and accepted by New Zealand's representative of the British crown at the time.  It states that the native tribes will be friends to Britain but represent a sovereign nation on the islands.

    And then the 1835 Declaration was promptly ignored by other powers who wanted to colonise the islands, anyway.
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    Scavenger  

    answered 3 years ago

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