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Story: Northland region

A national flag

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A national flag

This New Zealand national flag was chosen in 1834 by northern Māori chiefs. The following year they signed a Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand that was acknowledged by the British Crown.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, James Laurenson Collection

Reference: MS-Papers-0009-09-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Claudia Orange, Northland region – First Māori–European encounters, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8968/a-national-flag (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Claudia Orange, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.