History
The Rest Is History: Paddy the Wanderer
This week our resident historian Robert Kelly reckons history has gone to the dogs! He shares the tale of a particularly distinguished hound who captured hearts on the Wellington waterfront. Audio
The history of comics in NZ - Grant Morris
When we think of comics, we tend to think of the US. But what about the history of comics in NZ, including our own domestically produced comics? What can a study of NZ's comic history tell us about… Audio
Moon landing footage flown on special delivery from Sydney
At 7.30pm on July 21st 1969, New Zealanders tuned into the news and watched man walk on the moon for the very first time. But that footage wasn't beamed straight from the moon to our TVs - in fact… Video, Audio
The space race is on again
Fifty years after the moon landings - during which the space race slowed to a crawl - exploration is speeding up again. Audio
Nga Taonga Sound Archives:
When we first set foot on the moon, 50 years ago this Sunday, there was no live TV coverage of the momentous event in New Zealand. Audio, Gallery
How to do your family tree
Each of us has a story written in our DNA. But that's only part of the puzzle. Researching the family tree is one of those projects that starts but never quite finishes. Audio, Gallery
Egypt's 'Bent' Pyramid opens to visitors
Egypt has opened the "Bent" Pyramid built for pharaoh Sneferu, a 101-metre structure just south of Cairo that marks a key step in the evolution of pyramid construction.
Tales from the typing pool
Over the years, thousands of New Zealand women worked in public service typing pools since the 1940s. "Typing pool" is an obsolete term these days, but government departments and private businesses… Audio
History through the Piano: The World of Mozart
John Drummond looks at famous pieces of piano music as windows into the world in which they were created. A composer cannot help but reflect the world he lives in, his understanding of life, his… Audio
Classical music mysteries: 'Case Notes'
Black magic, theft, grave digging, gruesome crimes...some of our most famous classical composers led dark and interesting lives. It certainly wasn't all powdered wigs and harpsichord recitals for… Audio
David Bowie's Space Oddity turns 50
In December 1968 a 22-year-old David Bowie penned what is now one of his most loved songs, 'Space Oddity'. It offered a dystopian counter-image to the overwhelming global enthusiasm for space… Audio
Tom Jennings on his documentary of archival footage of the Apollo moon missions
50 years ago humans landed on the moon for the first time and now footage from the Apollo missions has been crafted together in a documentary, Apollo: Missions To The Moon, which will screen on the… Audio, Gallery
Untold stories of World War 2
We know the story of World War Two, the causes, the atrocities, the battles. But what about what life was like during the war? What were the experiences of New Zealanders? Author Renée Hollis wants to… Audio
The rise and fall of Crown Lynn
Sir Tom Clark is one of New Zealand's most celebrated ceramicists, having transformed the Crown Lynn company from a modest conglomerate of brick and pipe manufacturers into a tableware colossus. Audio
A Very Bright Idea
Timaru man Colin Murdoch was one of the world's great inventors. Produced by Justin Gregory. Audio
Mission controller Steve Bales: the decision that made history
Steve Bales was 26 years old, a NASA Guidance officer in Mission Control, when he had to make the decision of a lifetime. Audio, Gallery
Protecting New Zealand's unique geological features
How do you prevent priceless geological taonga falling prey to the diggers? It's a problem that's most recently come to light with the case of Foulden Maar near Middlemarch in Otago. Audio, Gallery
Why do we pay such scant attention to Māori New Year?
Celebrations of Matariki seem pale in comparison to those for Chinese New Year and Diwali - why? And do we need to have a look at rearranging our public holiday schedule to mark it? Audio
Babylon gains Unesco World Heritage status
Iraq has been lobbying for decades for the 4000-year-old site to be recognised.
Simon Schama - Historian and author's love affair with words
Simon Schama is Professor of Art History and History at Columbia University in New York. He has written and presented forty television documentary films for the BBC, PBS, and The History Channel… Audio