Sam teaches into Laidlaw’s Church History courses with a specialist focus on New Zealand religious and political history. He leads Te Rongopai ki Aotearoa Project at Laidlaw that is exploring the multidimensional relationships of Christianity and Māori society. Sam was raised in Pukekohe, in the rohe of Waikato-Tainui, where his Cornish ancestors settled in the 1860s prior to the Waikato war: ko Waikato te awa, ko Pukekohe te maunga, ko Bombay te waka. He often identifies as Ngāti Pākehā or Ngāi te Tiriti (those here by right of the Treaty of Waitangi). Sam previously worked as a lawyer before shifting to history and working for over a decade in the Wellington Treaty sector including for the Waitangi Tribunal, the Office of Treaty Settlements (senior historian) and the Crown Law Office (consultant historian). In 2021 he was awarded his PhD, which explored early New Zealand political thought. He is a founding trustee of Karuwhā Trust. His research page is nzhistorian.com. He also writes public interest pieces and provides media commentary on the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand historical subjects.

Summary of key research

Sam’s research focusses on the intersections of Christianity and Māori society, and on New Zealand political and religious history more generally. He has specialist research interests in te Tiriti o Waitangi-the Treaty of Waitangi and nineteenth century New Zealand political history. He is also embarked on a larger project to locate New Zealand history in its wider British empire, Pacific and intellectual contexts.  He is currently completing a biography of Karuwhā – Henry Wiliams, CMS missionary, for publication.

Most recent publications

• “A Historical–Contextual Analysis of the Use of ‘Tapu’, ‘Utu’ and ‘Muru’ in the Māori New Testament and Book of Common Prayer.” Religions 15.9 (2024): 1109.
• “The CMS Mission at Paihia, Pēwhairangi: An Analysis of Gospel and Culture in a Revolutionary Age.” Anglican Journal of Theology in Aotearoa and Oceania 3.1 (2024): 7–29.
• “Review of The English Text of the Treaty of Waitangi, by Ned Fletcher. Bridget Williams Books, 2022.” New Zealand Journal of History 57.1 (2023): 93–94.
• “Te Whānau Wiremu ki Aotearoa: How the Williams’ Story has Shaped Christianity, Culture, and Nation in Aotearoa, New Zealand.” Stimulus 30.1 (2023).

Personal Bio

Sam is married to Hana, an artist (painter) and secondary school art teacher. They attend St Mary’s Church in Glenn Innes with their children, Henry, Rose, and Reuben. Their eldest son, Tom, has left home and lives in West Auckland. Sam loves gardening and aspires to own and sail a (small) yacht and collect a (larger) personal library—mostly filled with non-fiction, although occasionally a decent novel might slip through the ‘only real and historical’ filter.

Research areas of specialisation and supervision

• New Zealand history
• Māori society in historical context
• Church history
• History of thought/ historical theology
• British and western imperial history

Qualifications & Awards

• PhD (history), Massey University, 2021.
• Te Pōkairua Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu - Diploma in Māori Language, Tai Tokerau Wānanga/ Northland Polytechnic, 2010.
• MA (history) - Master of Arts with Distinction, Massey University, 2009.
• PGDipArts (history) - Postgraduate Diploma Arts with Distinction, Massey University, 2005.
• Admitted as Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, 2002.
• BA/LLB (conjoint) - Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws, University of Auckland, 2002.