who wrote the national anthem of new zealand
Thomas Bracken
title: National anthems of New Zealand text: Zealand's 'national hymn' in time for that year's centennial celebrations. It was used at the British Empire Games from 1950 onward, and at the Olympics from 1972. Following the performance at the Summer Olympics in Munich, a campaign began to have the song adopted as the national anthem. In 1976 a petition was presented to Parliament asking "God Defend New Zealand" to be made the national anthem. With the permission of Queen Elizabeth II, it was gazetted as the country's second national anthem on 21 November 1977, on equal standing with "God Save the Queen". Until the 1990s only the title: National anthems of New Zealand text: male monarch) was inherited from Britain when New Zealand became a colony. In 1860 it was translated into Māori by Edward Marsh Williams, son of missionary Henry Williams, who had as a youth helped his father translate the Treaty of Waitangi. It remained the country's sole national anthem until 1977, but is now most often played only when the sovereign, governor-general or other member of the Royal Family is present, or in other situations where a royal anthem would be used, or on certain other occasions such as Anzac Day. Some other Commonwealth realms, such as Canada and Australia, use title: God Defend New Zealand text: verse of the national anthem twice, first in Māori and then in English. "God Defend New Zealand" was written as a poem in the 1870s by Irish-born, Victorian-raised immigrant Thomas Bracken of Dunedin. A competition to compose music for the poem was held in 1876 by "The Saturday Advertiser" and judged by three prominent Melbourne musicians, with a prize of ten guineas. The winner of the competition was the Tasmanian-born John Joseph Woods of Lawrence, New Zealand who composed the melody in a single sitting the evening after finding out about the competition. The song was first performed at the title: John Joseph Woods text: Honorary Freeman of New Zealand, he was commended for his "efficiency, integrity and devotion to duty". John Joseph Woods John Joseph Woods (1849–1934) was a New Zealand teacher and songwriter. He is best known for winning a competition to set "God Defend New Zealand", a poem by Thomas Bracken, to music. By doing this, he composed the tune to what later became New Zealand's national anthem. Woods was also the Tuapeka County Council clerk for 55 years. Woods was born in the then colony of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in 1849 into an Irish family with fourteen other children, title: John Joseph Woods text: John Joseph Woods John Joseph Woods (1849–1934) was a New Zealand teacher and songwriter. He is best known for winning a competition to set "God Defend New Zealand", a poem by Thomas Bracken, to music. By doing this, he composed the tune to what later became New Zealand's national anthem. Woods was also the Tuapeka County Council clerk for 55 years. Woods was born in the then colony of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in 1849 into an Irish family with fourteen other children, seven boys and seven girls. His father was a soldier. After teaching in Tasmania for nine