To find out more, we had a chat with Gabor Toth, our Local and New Zealand History Specialist from Wellington City Libraries.
"Wellington Anniversary was the first anniversary day to be celebrated in New Zealand, and marked one year after passengers on-board the settler ship, The Aurora, disembarked at Petone Beach" Gabor says. "It began a tradition that soon spread across the country."
"However, let's not forget that many of these areas had already been occupied by local Māori for generations. So while anniversary days are a welcome holiday, they are to some extent a legacy of our colonial past."
To hear the full interview and learn more about the history of Wellington Anniversary Day, check out this video.