Grateful to the protesters for reminding me I'm due for another booster soon.

Invasion! The Waikato War: The Featherston Booktown NZ War History series Vincent O’Malley writes that war in the Waikato between July 1863 and April 1864 ‘goes to the very core of who we are as a nation’. The crippling legacy was ...

The 2026 Featherston Booktown line-up is out!

Catch last year's Waikato War talk with Tom Roa, Joanna Kidman, James Belich and Vincent O'Malley – now available to watch online: youtube.com/watch?v=cge9bTANZyc

The Auckland Writers Festival programme is out!

Events with BWB authors include: Charlotte Macdonald, Vincent O'Malley, Asher Emanuel, Rebecca Macfie, Craig Renney and Max Harris.

Book now: www.bwb.co.nz/events/bwb-aut...

Vincent O’Malley: From Aotearoa New Zealand to the Emerald Isle • Auckland Writers Festival

Great to be taking part in the Auckland Writers Festival this year. Looks like a stellar lineup of writers.

www.writersfestival.co.nz/programmes/e...

There's clearly no NZ political news or developments from the last couple of days that 1 News considers newsworthy.

Don't report that the PM's future in the position is highly uncertain because the poll result that led to the crisis came from an external source is not good journalism.

It's the fallout from the poll that is the story.

The major story is not the poll result per se but the speculation the PM's position is under threat.

15 minutes in, still nothing. To quote OMC, how bizarre.

Incredible that 1 News did not lead with the PM's leadership under threat.

Ka kite Michael King Writers Centre.

Awesome!

Thanks for coming along. Great to meet you.

Remembering Rangiaowhia On 21 February 1864 Crown forces attacked the settlement of Rangiaowhia. On the anniversary of that attack, this piece explains what happened that day and...

Remembering Rangiaowhia, 21 February 1864.

buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

Great to be here. And thanks to everyone who came along to my talk at Devonport Library last night.

Invasion! The Waikato War: The Featherston Booktown NZ War History series YouTube video by Featherston Booktown

Our session from the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival last year on the invasion of Waikato is now available to view, featuring Joanna Kidman, Tom Roa, James Belich and me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cge9...

In very good company here!

Dr Vincent O'Malley Auckland and the Invasion of the Waikato Dr Vincent O’Malley argues that it was in the invasion of Waikato in 1863, and not either world war, that was the defining conflict in New Zealand history.

As my first talk at Devonport Library filled up very quickly, I have agreed to do a second session a few days later, on 22 February. Link to book free tickets here:

events.humanitix.com/dr-vincent-o...

If you are in the area, get along to the Fred Graham exhibition on at Pātaka, Porirua, till 10 May. It's great.

pataka.org.nz/whats-on/exh...

📢 Upcoming Event – Vincent O'Malley: Auckland and the Invasion of the Waikato 📢

Join Vincent O'Malley as he explores how the invasion of Waikato played out in Tāmaki Makaurau and the legacy it left behind.

⏰ 18 February, 6.30pm
📍 Devonport Library
📚 Free entry

events.humanitix.com/dr-vinc...

‘Noise is not the same as progress’: Te reo leader’s warning after royal honour Professor Tom Roa has been fighting for te reo Māori for more than 50 years.

Wonderful to see this recognition for Matua Tom Roa.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-year-...

Unsettling Newsletter Aotearoa New Zealand history with Dr Vincent O'Malley. The New Zealand Wars, the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti, Māori and Pākehā relations and more

A recap of some of the content from my newsletter launched in March.

www.meetingplace.nz/2025/12/unse...

Kā Whakatauraki: The Promises A landmark exhibition bringing together the ten Ngāi Tahu land sale purchase deeds.

An important exhibition to see if you are near Ōtautahi this summer. Kā Whakatauraki: The Promises, at Christchurch Art Gallery, displays the ten deeds signed between 1844 and 1864 that saw 34.5 million acres pass out of Ngāi Tahu ownership.

christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/...

Can't say I've heard that one.

Still held by NZDF according to this. www.archives.govt.nz/research-gui...

Archives NZ shutting down digitisation programme It has been running for seven years, digitising almost two million historically significant images to protect them from wear and tear and make them accessible worldwide online.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Especially relevant in NZ, where funding for the Archives NZ digitisation programme of official records was axed in 2024.

Robin Hyde and Ōrākei Recent controversy over the destruction of Penman House in Auckland reminded me of a series of brilliant articles that Robin Hyde wrote from that very place...

"any unjustified removal of Ngāti Whātua from their lands ‘will never be forgiven and never be forgotten’".

Robin Hyde and Ōrākei.

buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

John Campbell announced as new co-host of Morning Report He'll join Ingrid Hipkiss on the flagship news programme next year.

Marvellous!

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

'Garrison World explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century.'

In this new book trailer, Charlotte Macdonald introduces her latest book, 'Garrison World'!

🎥 @reverie_nzl

#booktrailer #bwb