

History of Aotearoa New Zealand
Thomas Rillstone
In this “unashamedly homegrown” podcast we tell the story of our islands from the time before people arrived all the way up to the year 2000. Winner of the bronze award for Best Indie Podcast in the NZ Podcast Awards 2021, Silver for Best Educational and Best Indie in 2022 and Silver for Best History in 2023 and 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 29, 2025 • 4min
Spring 2025 Update
Just a quick update on the release schedule over the next few months as well as what you can expect to be coming up in the Patreon feed!Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 22, 2025 • 42min
180 - Here Be Dragons No More
Cook and his crew continue to gather supplies, clean the ship and talk some more with Māori in Tōtaranui before he finally does what both Tasman and de Surville failed to do.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 15, 2025 • 29min
179 - Tōtaranui
As Cook and company begin to make their way down the west coast of the North Island they look for a place to stop and careen the ship. What they find is a place that Cook will return to again and again.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 8, 2025 • 24min
178 - No Retreat (Cause We Done Goofed)
The Endeavour continues exploring the eastern coast of Te Ika a Māui and Cook ends up in a spot of bother...Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 1, 2025 • 41min
177 - The Transit of Mercury
Cook continues to explore Te Ika a Māui, attempting to trade with Māori, getting into arguments with this crew and probably going blind by looking at the sun too much. You know, the usual.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 25, 2025 • 37min
176 - Kidnappers
Everyone is trying to steal everyone else in events now immortilised in the naming of the landscape.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 18, 2025 • 41min
175 - Knock Knock, It's Europe 3. Remember Us?
We left off when Cook opened his sealed orders which instructed him to head south in search of the Great Southern Land, Terra Australis, at the direct contradiction of Tupaia, who wanted to go west. Today the Endeavour heads south in search of the holy grail of European explorers in the Pacific.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron!You find the Gisborne Port Authority report mentioned in the episode here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 11, 2025 • 26min
174 - Breaking the Seal
James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour no longer have a reason to remain in the Society Islands. As such, they need to decide where their voyage will take them next. To do this, Cook pulls out his secret, sealed orders from the Admiralty and cracks them open.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2025 • 27min
173 - Island Holiday
Cook starts to explore more of the Society Islands, with Tupaia’s direction and knowledge proving invaluable.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 27, 2025 • 30min
172 - Greener Pastures
Now that the Endeavour no longer has any need to remain in Tahiti, a bunch of people start making decisions about their future, some less well thought out than others.Check out the website and shownotes!Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


