History
Nights Pundit - NZ History
250 ships, 8500 dead. Senior Historian for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Gavin McLean, revisits WWI's biggest naval battle. Audio
Free love and piano playing
Lili Kraus was a famed Hungarian-born pianist who galvanised our post-war arts scene; she played everywhere and organised new pianos for our halls. Cushla Parekowhai talks about the love affair New… Audio
A life-long love affair with the Hauraki Gulf
A sketch of a house in the area by Kerry Howe A sketch by Kerry Howe Kerry grew up on the water, near Narrow Neck on the North Shore, and as well as producing many books about Pacific culture and… Audio, Gallery
Steven Hyden: Rock N Roll Rivalries
Pitchfork magazine music critic Steven Hyden looks at 19 rock and roll rivalries from the Stones vs the Beatles to Miley Vs Sinead in his new book, 'Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music… Audio
Daily life in Azraq camp: home to 35,000 refugees
Azraq camp in Jordan is home to 35,000 Syrian refugees, and is growing by 300 to 500 people every day. The camp covers 15 km2 of a remote desert plain, exposed to sand storms, freezing winters and… Audio, Gallery
Officials set off for Battle of Crete tribute
Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae is in Greece to take part in 75th anniversary commemorations for the Battle of Crete.
Navy marks 75 years since HMS Puriri sank
The sinking of the only New Zealand naval ship lost to enemy action in New Zealand waters is being commemorated in Whangarei today.
Poetry with Gregory O'Brien: two Pacific writers
Kim Hill talks to Gregory O'Brien about two new collections of poetry: Fale Aitu Spirit House by Tusiata Avia, and The Lives of Coat Hangers by Sudesh Mishra. Audio
Stephen Hough: piano, performance and the priesthood
Kim Hill talks to composer, poet, painter and columnist Stephen Hough who was named one of 20 Living Polymaths by The Economist, and one of the 25 greatest pianists of all time by Classic FM. He… Audio
Earthquakes expose hidden artefacts in central Christchurch
When the Canterbury earthquakes brought about the destruction of almost all of the buildings in central Christchurch, it created a unique opportunity for an insight into the past. Video, Audio
Māori astronomy - Te Whānau Mārama
"First the sun, then the moon, then the stars". Waikato University Professor Rangi Matamua shares Māori understandings of the night sky. He's curated the Waikato Museum's current exhibition Te Whānau… Audio
Masterpieces: Michael Fitzgerald on colonial history
Michael Fitzgerald, Te Papa's curator of colonial history, is retiring this month, after 46 years at Te Papa and its predecessor institutions. He is steeped in New Zealand's history from military to… Audio, Gallery
Business scandals in NZ - The Historical Context
The Panama Papers scandal could be a risk to NZ's squeaky clean reputation, but is our reputation really that squeaky clean? New Zealand has actually experienced a number of business scandals over the… Audio
Mathematics and Black holes: Professor Roy Kerr
Emeritus Professor Roy Kerr who has just received the highest academic title the University of Canterbury can bestow - Canterbury Distinguished Professor. He is one of only three in the university's… Audio
Sound archives - the huia
If you have been to see Taika Waititi's film "The Hunt for the Wilderpeople" you will remember the two main characters discover the long-believed-extinct huia bird, while they are deep in the bush. In… Audio
Twist on the Europeans to discover NZ
History professor Paul Moon talks about a not-new claim that the first Europeans to discover the New Zealand were Spanish or Portugese. Audio
Jonathan Gil Harris: Becoming Indian
Jonathan Gil Harris is a Shakespearean scholar who's written a history of the weird and wonderful people came to make India their home in the 16th and 17th centuries. First of the Firangis weaves the… Audio
Who Bombed the Hilton? Australia's first major terrorist attack
Award-winning filmmaker and historian, Rachel Landers has explored the unsolved mystery of the 1978 bombing of The Hilton Hotel on Sydney's George St -Australia's first act of terrorism. Audio
From Slavery to Steelpan – NZ's Freedom Music
NZ's first Steelpan Caribbean Orchestra drum up Carnival Night in Auckland, inspired by drumming traditions from Africa - originally developed to tolerate the inhumane practices of slavery in the… Audio, Gallery
From Slavery to Steelpan – NZ's Freedom Music
NZ's first Steelpan Caribbean Orchestra drum up Carnival Night in Auckland, inspired by drumming traditions from Africa - originally developed to tolerate the inhumane practices of slavery in the…
Audio