New Zealand–United Kingdom relations are the bilateral relations between New Zealand and the United Kingdom. New Zealand has maintained a close relationship with Britain, since gaining independence from the United Kingdom. The two countries remain related through mutual migration, through shared military history, through a shared system of government, through language and membership of the Commonwealth (formerly British Empire). History Pre-independence relations During his first voyage, British navigator James Cook reached New Zealand on 6 October 1769. Secret directives had been supplied to Cook for this portion of his expedition, instructing him to search firstly for the fabled Terra Australis and, if unsuccessful, to make instead as extensive an exploration of the New Zealand coast as resources allowed. The document that Cook was given declared that these missions were intended to further demonstrate Great Britain's maritime prowess, to bring honour to the Crown and to explore new opportunities for trade and navigation. For almost sixty the country remained under no sovereign rule however the British made claims to areas of the country where significant trade between New Zealand and Australia existed to be part of The Colony of New South Wales. Formal British representation in New Zealand began with the posting of James Busby from Australia to the islands in 1833 as the British Resident, who was sent in response to the concerns of a number of northern Māori leaders over the lawlessness of local foreign settlers. Since 1816, a number of Māori chiefs had travelled to England and the colonies to explore options for the establishing of a Māori government and, in 1834, Busby drafted the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand, ratified by a number of northern chiefs in 1835. As part of this process, King William IV recognised and agreed to act as protector for the newly formed state. The Treaty of Waitangi was formed, which was signed by a number of Māori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown on 6 February 1840. The British also knew of French intent to colonize New Zealand and British sovereignty was hurriedly declared later in May of that year, just before the first French colony ships arrived in Akaroa. New Zealand became a British Colony in 1841 and, eleven years later, the British Parliament passed the first fully implemented Act to grant self-governance to the new colony. Formal British influence gradually diminished, as the power of successive Governors