Analysis - In 2015, New Zealand's Parliament was in the middle of a fierce debate to change a part of our heritage, the national flag. But 110 years earlier, there was an argument over an even more fundamental part of NZ identity. Our name. Musings in Māoriland was a collection of poetry by Thomas Bracken, author of NZ’s national anthem. Photo: Supplied / Te Ara It was 1895 and the radical liberal MP Patrick O'Regan took the floor of Parliament with a proposal to ditch "New Zealand" in favour of a new name. "Mr O'Regan asked the premier if the government are in favour of changing the present inappropriate name of the colony for the more suitable one of 'Māoriland'.