James Belich (historian)
Encyclopedia
James Christopher Belich, ONZM
(born 1956) is a New Zealand
revisionist
historian
, known for his work on the New Zealand Wars.
Of Croatian descent, he was born in Wellington
in 1956, the son of Sir James Belich, who later became Mayor of Wellington
. He attended Onslow College
.
He gained an M.A. in history at Victoria University
before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
in 1978 and travelling to Oxford to complete his D.Phil at Nuffield College
. He lectured at Victoria University of Wellington
for several years before moving to the University of Auckland
. In 2007 he was appointed Professor of History at the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies at Victoria University.
The New Zealand Wars (1987) was based on his DPhil thesis, and won the international Trevor Reese Memorial Prize. It was later turned into a major documentary series for Television New Zealand
.
I Shall Not Die': Titokowaru
's War (1990), based on his MA thesis, was also highly praised, winning the Adam Award for New Zealand literature.
Belich has written a two volume work A History of the New Zealanders, consisting of Making Peoples (1996) and Paradise Reforged (2001).
Belich was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit
in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List for service to historic research.
He expanded his area of research to colonial societies in general with Replenishing the earth (2009).
In 2011 Belich was appointed Beit Professor of Commonwealth History
at Oxford University.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born 1956) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
revisionist
Historical revisionism
In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, known for his work on the New Zealand Wars.
Of Croatian descent, he was born in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in 1956, the son of Sir James Belich, who later became Mayor of Wellington
Mayor of Wellington
The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
. He attended Onslow College
Onslow College
Onslow College is a decile 10 co-educational state secondary school located in Johnsonville, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand. The school opened in 1956 to serve the city's rapidly-growing northern suburbs. The new Principal will be Mr. Peter Leggat, and he will begin at the start of the School...
.
He gained an M.A. in history at Victoria University
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1978 and travelling to Oxford to complete his D.Phil at Nuffield College
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
. He lectured at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
for several years before moving to the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. In 2007 he was appointed Professor of History at the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies at Victoria University.
The New Zealand Wars (1987) was based on his DPhil thesis, and won the international Trevor Reese Memorial Prize. It was later turned into a major documentary series for Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
.
I Shall Not Die': Titokowaru
Titokowaru
Riwha Titokowaru became a Māori leader in the Taranaki region and one of the most successful opponents of British colonisation anywhere....
's War (1990), based on his MA thesis, was also highly praised, winning the Adam Award for New Zealand literature.
Belich has written a two volume work A History of the New Zealanders, consisting of Making Peoples (1996) and Paradise Reforged (2001).
Belich was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List for service to historic research.
He expanded his area of research to colonial societies in general with Replenishing the earth (2009).
In 2011 Belich was appointed Beit Professor of Commonwealth History
Beit Professor of Commonwealth History
The Beit Professorship of Commonwealth History is one of the senior professorships in history at the University of Oxford. It was established in 1905 as the Beit Professorship of Colonial History. The post is held in conjunction with a fellowship at Balliol College, Oxford.- Beit Professors :*...
at Oxford University.
Works
- Titokowaru's war and its place in New Zealand's history. MA Thesis. Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
1979. - New Zealand Wars 1845-1870: an analysis of their history and interpretation. 1982. PhD Thesis. Nuffield College/Oxford University
- I shall not die: Tītokowaru’s war, New Zealand, 1868-9. Bridget Williams Books, 1993. ISBN 0046140220
- Making peoples: a history of the New Zealanders: from Polynesian settlement to the end of the nineteenth century Penguin, 2007. ISBN 9780143007043
- The New Zealand wars and the Victorian interpretation of racial conflict. Auckland University Press, 1986. ISBN 186940002X
- Paradise reforged : a history of the New Zealanders from the 1880s to the year 2000. University of Hawai’i Press, 2001. ISBN 082482542X
External links
- Victoria University of Wellington Stout Research Centre page
- University of Auckland website
- University of Auckland personal page
See also
- New Zealand literatureNew Zealand literatureNew Zealand literature is essentially literature in English that is either written by New Zealanders, or migrants, dealing with New Zealand themes or places and is primarily a 20th Century creation...