Grant Morris
History of Royal Commissions
Legal historian Grant Morris walks us through what a commission is and what role they've had in New Zealand's constitutional past. Audio
The history of post-political careers for NZ Prime Ministers
Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley has recently been in the news due to her involvement in the failure of Mainzeal. Shipley is one of many recent PMs who still have busy post-political careers. Audio
The history of New Zealand's scraps with powerful nations
The tension between NZ and China over Huawei's involvement in the 5G network is the latest example of NZ having to deal a world power. As a small nation, NZ has been facing these kind of challenges… Audio
The New Zealand history wars
Our regular historian, Grant Morris from Victoria University talks about the current debate in NZ around whether our colonial history should be compulsory in schools. He says this is a complex issue… Audio
Loving Opera
Grant Morris tells us all about opera music - where it came from, how it differs from musicals - as well as his own operatic journey. Audio
The history of the NZ beach holiday
New Zealand has 15,000kms of beach and it is hugely varied. Our regular historian Grant Morris of Victoria University looks back at when a beach holiday became the norm. Audio
Queen Victoria versus the Duke of Wellington
Historian Grant Morris looks at the debate over whether his university, Victoria, should change its name to University of Wellington. He looks at the two individuals involved; Queen Victoria and the… Audio
The history of property speculation in NZ
New Zealand has experienced rampant property speculation during the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Why was this allowed to happen? Grant Morris says the most important reason can be… Audio
Language and History: A 'trivial' matter?
In the recent NCEA history exam, some students did not know the meaning of 'trivial' and struggled to answer the set question. What does this case tells us about the state of history and language? Audio
Grant Morris: the 150th anniversary of the Matawhero Tragedy
In November 1868 Te Kooti was unjustly imprisoned on the Chatham Islands. He escaped and the attack on Matawhero has been described as his utu for his treatment at the hands of the colonial forces. Audio
The history of iconic suburbs in NZ
New Zealanders spend a lot of time obsessing about suburbs - but where do they come from? Audio
The history of theme parks in NZ
Disneyland, Movie World, Universal Studios…Rainbow's End. Our regular historian, Grant Morris of Victoria University looks at New Zealand's rather limited history of theme parks and place it in… Audio
The History of Geographic Rivalries in NZ
NZ has a history of geographic rivalry, between regions, between cities, and between towns. On the sports field, in politics, in culture and even in warfare. Audio
The History of Prime Ministerial War Heroes in NZ
The death of Senator John McCain reminds us that war heroes often play important roles as political leaders. This has been a tradition throughout the world but to what extent does it apply to New… Audio
The history of university controversies in NZ
It didn't begin and end with Don Brash - New Zealand universities have often being sites of controversies. Historian Grant Morris of Victoria University takes a look at some of these controversies… Audio
The (uncensored?) history of free speech in NZ
Those attempting to quash freedom of speech tend to come down on the wrong side of history in the end, legal history expert Grant Morris says. Audio
The history of cathedrals in NZ
Cathedrals are prominent landmarks in many NZ cities. They have played an important role in NZ's history, both symbolically and practically. Audio
The history of the Welsh in New Zealand
Welsh immigrants have played an important role in NZ's history but it has been largely overshadowed by the story of English, Scottish and Irish immigrants. Audio
The history of NZ in the FIFA World Cups
The FIFA World Cup 2018 is currently in the group stages. The world is watching but, as per usual, NZ is not involved. In fact, NZ has only been involved in 2 of the 21 men's World Cups. Our Regular… Audio
The history of overseas authors in NZ
Which famous writers have had the biggest influence on NZ's development? Our regular historian, Grant Morris of Victoria University discusses the influence of some of the world's greatest writers on… Audio