Unearthing heroes, villains and forgotten tales of NZ’s past
Sunday, 12 July 2026
Following on from Our Untold Stories, Tom Clarke dives back into New Zealand’s history for more extraordinary stories from our past. Great Tales of Aotearoa contains 30 stories that reflect the struggles and the indomitable spirit of our forebearers who laid the foundations for the creation of the nation of New Zealand. The stories come from Clarke’s Today in History New Zealand series which he began in 1983 as a daily catalogue of the news and events and which now comprises more than 4500 recorded events this unique record is being published next year. During Clarke’s research he discovered many fascinating, forgotten or untold stories about heartbreaking tragedies, incredible courage and bravery, outstanding New Zealanders, daring endeavours, shysters and larrikins, scientific achievements, superstition and human folly, and stories that are just sheer entertainment to read. This Q&A with the author accompanies an extract from the book, which is also published today.
Q: What first got you interested in the stories of New Zealand to the extent that you started the Today in History New Zealand series in 1983 and are still going today with these Great Tales books?
A: I’ve always been interested in the history of our country and uncovering forgotten facts and interesting events from the past. Likewise I’ve always enjoyed stories about the struggles of those who braved the unknown and risked life and limb to settle new lands. Working as a subeditor for various news organisations I was dealing with news feeds that came in via the teleprinter, and one daily offering was Today in History – but it was always international events and rarely included New Zealand history. In the 1980s I offered a service covering only New Zealand events to newspapers and radio stations. I couldn’t interest any newspapers in the service, but radio stations were enthusiastic. Longer term I thought it may interest a publisher, which it ultimately has with Bateman Books (David Bateman Ltd), publishing this work next year as New Zealand History Day by Day.
Q: What sort of grand themes about New Zealand and New Zealanders emerge through the events you retell?
A: Three major things: firstly the social changes that have occurred in New Zealand society since European settlement began in the 1840s, secondly the courage, resilience, endurance and ingenuity of our European forebears, and thirdly the incredible bravery and achievements of some of those who preceded us. By social change I mean things like Māori being sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered on charges of treason; by courage and resilience I refer to John and Christina Polson of Morven Hills and the tragic loss of their newborn twins whose bodies they buried in snow until the frozen ground thawed sufficiently for them to be properly interred; and by bravery, I refer to Governor-General Bernard Freyberg, unquestionably the most courageous New Zealander ever.
Q: There are plenty of heroes and villains within these stories, do you have favourites of both varieties?
My favourite hero is Lieutenant-General Freyberg. Not only because of his incredible feats of bravery and leadership during two World Wars, but also because of his humility and empathy with ‘ordinary New Zealanders’.
My favourite villain is not a single person, but a group of four convicts who escaped from Norfolk Island about 1810, and through a series of misadventures ended up marooned on The Snares, the northern-most of New Zealand’s subantarctic island. During their seven years on the isolated islands, one of the escapers was executed at the hands of the others!
Q: Are there any other troves of storytelling you are yet to mine to keep these books going into the future?
A: Yes indeed. Each of these two books contains 30 stories that were previously unknown or not widely known. I’ve uncovered another 30-plus stories that need to be recorded – given the time and circumstance, and the willingness of Bateman to take on a third.
Great Tales of Aotearoa: Extraordinary Stories from New Zealand’s Past by Tom Clarke (Bateman, RRP $39.99)