I Heard it in My History Class Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary, along with Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, were the first known mountaineers to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. In which year did they achieve this incredible feat?

Answer: 1953

Sir Edmund Hillary, (20 July 1919 - 11 January 2008), affectionately known to the nation as "Sir Ed", was also a dedicated philanthropist. He established the Himalayan Trust in order to help the Sherpa people of Nepal, and it oversaw the building of many schools and hospitals. In recognition of his extraordinary achievements, his profile appears on the New Zealand five-dollar note.

2. The movie "Heavenly Creatures" (1994), directed by Sir Peter Jackson, is based on a real-life murder that occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1954. Two teenage girls, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, were found guilty of killing Pauline's mother, Honora Rieper. Which of the following weapons did they use?

Answer: Half a brick in a stocking

Juliet and Pauline both attended Christchurch Girls' High School, which was established in 1877. Now located in Matai Street, Riccarton, the school's former site of Cranmer Centre was destroyed in the Christchurch Earthquakes of 2010-2011.

3. Here's a fact every little Kiwi learns at primary school: The Treaty of Waitangi was a treaty established between the British Crown and prominent Maori chiefs of the North Island. On which date was it signed?

Answer: 6 February, 1840

February 6 is a New Zealand public holiday! For more information on the Treaty and its ongoing consequences, a great web resource to consult is http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/classroom/ncea3/19th-century-history-introduction.

Happy Reading!

4. In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, who won two gold medals for New Zealand - one in the 200m freestyle, and another in the 400m freestyle?

Answer: Danyon Loader

In 2006, New Zealanders were able to enjoy watching Danyon Loader perform with dancer Hayley Holt on Series Two of "Dancing With the Stars" (The New Zealand version of Britain's "Strictly Come Dancing"). They came third.

Incidentally, the other three Olympic swimmers all represented Australia at some point during the twentieth century.

5. "We may be a small country, but we're a great one, too" (Love Actually, 2003). In 1893, New Zealand was the first self-governing nation to ...?

Answer: Grant the vote to all women over the age of 21

Capital punishment was outlawed in New Zealand in 1961.

The first female Prime Minister of New Zealand was Jenny Shipley, of the National Party. She replaced then current Prime Minister Jim Bolger after he resigned in 1997. The first female Prime Minister of New Zealand to actually be elected was Helen Clark, who served three consective terms from 1999-2008.

Corporal punishment was not outlawed in schools until nearly 100 years later, on July 23, 1990.

6. Wellingtonian "Gladiator" (2000) star Mr. Crowe would be pleased: What was the first capital city of New Zealand?

Answer: Koror�reka/Russell

To quote directly from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/missionaries/kororareka

"The importance of Kororareka (later renamed Russell) as a primary whaling station was reflected in the choice of nearby Okiato (the original Russell) as New Zealand's first capital following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. When Hobson moved his capital to Auckland in 1841 the local Ng�puhi economy was seriously undermined. This was one factor in the outbreak of the Northern War on 11 March 1845, when most of Koror�reka was accidentally destroyed by fire".

In 1865, the capital was once again moved, this time to Wellington. Wellington remains the current capital city of New Zealand.

7. The All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team, won the Rugby World Cup for the first time in which year?

Answer: 1987

The final game was played at Eden Park, in Auckland, with New Zealand defeating France 29-9. In 2011, New Zealand won the World Cup for the second time, again defeating France in the final match at Eden Park. This time the score was a somewhat closer 8-7!

8. "Sapere Aude". What was the first university to be opened in New Zealand?

Answer: University of Otago

The University of Otago was founded in 1869 and opened in 1871. Its motto, "Sapere Aude", means "Dare to be Wise".

9. Read all about it! Who is the only New Zealand author ever to have won the Man Booker Prize For Fiction?

Answer: Keri Hulme

While all four are famous New Zealand authors, Keri Hulme is the only novelist to have won this prestigious award. She won it for her 1985 novel "The Bone People". Keri Hulme was born in Christchurch and attended Aranui High School - my old high school!

10. Which New Zealander holds the distinction of being only the second of four women ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director?

Answer: Jane Campion

Wellingtonian Jane Campion's 1993 film "The Piano" was nominated in the following categories at the 1994 Oscars:

Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Director
Best Editing
Best Picture

It won Academy Awards for Best Actress (Holly Hunter) Best Supporting Actress (The Canadian-born, New Zealand actress Anna Paquin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jane Campion). A truly beautiful film.

Incidentally, Lee Tamahori is a famous MALE New Zealand director, probably best known for bringing Alan Duff's hard-hitting novel "Once Were Warriors" (1993) to the big screen. Wellington-born Niki Caro directed "The Whale Rider" (2002), whereas Gillian Armstrong is a renowned Australian director. My favourite film of of Ms. Armstrong's is "Little Women" (1994).

Source: Author silkdragon2011

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

I heard it in my history class.... and never forgot it! Here are some interesting facts about the country I'm proud to call home.

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