What Was Happening is a lively, reflective journey through New Zealand’s history, told with humour and insight. It captures major national events, quirky milestones, and cultural shifts from 1939 to 2005. Each decade or year is explored through a mix of personal anecdotes, political changes, social movements, pop culture, and tragedies—from the Wahine disaster to the rise of Helen Clark.
The narrative weaves together serious issues like colonisation, racism, and law reform with lighter moments such as the launch of KFC, the rise of local music icons, and memorable TV moments. It offers snapshots of evolving Kiwi identity, values, and contradictions, revealing how far the country has come—and how far it still has to go.
At its heart, the piece invites readers to see history not just as distant facts, but as lived experience: funny, flawed, and deeply human.