The history of the Bahá’í Faith in New Zealand first appeared the public record in 1846 in newspapers, but meaningful contact began in the early 1900s as individual New Zealanders encountered Bahá’ís abroad or through print. Wilhelmina Sherriff Bainwas one, publishing a detailed 1908 article after learning of the religion through overseas contacts. By the 1910s, several New Zealanders were corresponding with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, and figures such as Robert Felkin—who had met ʻAbdu’l‑Bahá in London—moved to New Zealand and helped introduce the teachings. The first known Bahá’í to reside in the country was Dorothea Spinney in 1912, and by 1913 both Felkin and Margaret Stevenson had appeared as active members of the religion in the country, with Stevenson becoming a lifelong advocate.

Through the 1920s–1960s, the community expanded steadily. Stevenson and others undertook Bahá'í pilgrimage, helped launch the Herald of the South Bahá'í newsletter, and established the first Local Spiritual Assemblies, the local governing institutions of the religion. Visits from prominent Bahá’ís—including Martha Root, Keith Ransom-Kehler, and several other Hands of the Cause—strengthened the young community. By 1957, New Zealand elected its own National Spiritual Assembly, and by 1963, it had multiple Assemblies and smaller groups across both islands. The community also became more diverse, with the first Māori believer joining in 1948 and later waves of Persian Bahá’í refugees settling in the country during the 1980s.

From the 1970s onward, the Bahá’í community deepened its involvement in social and economic development, interfaith work, and national conversations on race relations. New Zealand Bahá’ís helped support Iranian refugees, launched local development initiatives, and collaborated with government agencies—most notably in establishing Race Unity Day in 1998. The community also navigated internal challenges, such as controversies over burial practices with its Māori members, and misunderstandings about women’s roles, while continuing to grow and diversify. By the 2000s, Bahá’ís were active in media, interfaith councils, disaster memorials, and regional gatherings, with census and independent estimates placing the population between roughly 2,800 and 7,400 believers across more than 65 local communities.

Earlist history The first mention of events related to the history of the Baháʼí Faith( and its precursor, the Bábí Faith,) in New Zealand appeared in a Wellington newspaper in July 1846. There was followup coverage of controversial news in Persia that reached New Zealand in 1853.*

For a close review of the history, see: There were several contacts between New Zealanders and Baháʼís at the beginning of the 20th century. Ongoing communication began around 1904 when one individual after another came in contact with Baháʼís and some of these individuals published articles in the print media in New Zealand as early as 1907, 1908, when New Zealander Wilhelmina Sherriff Bain wrote a decidely positive review of the religion. She may have met Sarah Jane Farmer, a notable Baháʼí in the United States, (see Green Acre Baháʼí School) in 1904. Whoever her contact was, Bain had authored a large detailed article in the Otago Witness published edition of 30 December 1908 about the religion. Other articles followed in 1909, 1911, and 1913.* Other articles were published as well.*

It is also known that letters were exchanged in 1910 between a Mildred Burdon of Geraldine and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. Robert Felkin, who had met ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the Son of Bahá'u’lláh, the Founder of the Baháʼí Faith, in London in 1911, moved to New Zealand in 1912 where he helped found the Whare Ra. He wrote an article for a New Zealand publication which was published.There isn't a definite date Felkin is considered a Baha'i except before 1914 – Arohanui, Introduction by Collis Featherstone.

The first Baháʼí in the Antipodes was Dorothea Spinney who arrived in Auckland, from New York, in 1912. Shortly thereafter – about 1913 – there were two converts. They were Robert Felkin, who is considered to be a Baháʼí by 1914 and Margaret Stevenson who first heard of the religion in 1911 and who, by her own testimony, was a Baháʼí in 1913. Auckland resident Margaret Stevenson's interest was aroused when her sister, Amy, living in the United Kingdom, sent her a copy of "The Christian Commonwealth" which had reported on ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's speech in London on 27 March 1911. Stevenson followed up her interest in the prophet and His teachings and subscribed to a Baháʼí magazine published in the United States. According to the claims of the Baháʼí Faith, she found, God reveals himself through prophets who appear at various stages in history, and that the most recent of these was Bahá'u’lláh. Followers stress the oneness of all people: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world”.Gleanings From the Writings of Baha’u’llah, pp 215, 249-250 Stevenson became a believer, and devoted the rest of her life to the service of the Baháʼí Faith.

Growth of the community

'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada in 1916–1917. These letters were published in book form titled the Tablets of the Divine Plan. The seventh of these tablets, written on 11 April 1916, was the first to mention New Zealand. “The moment this divine Message is carried forward by  the American believers .......and is propagated through the continents .........Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided......... if some teachers go to other islands and other parts, such as the continent of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, ......most great results will be forthcoming”.Tablet to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada Revealed on April 11, 1916)

These tablets were translated and published in the magazine Star of the West on 12 December 1919. Stevenson was visited by Australian community founders John and Clara Hyde-Dunn in both 1922 and 1923 and the New Zealand community quickly grew. New adherents included Stevenson's sisters Amy and Lilias. In 1924 Martha Root shared the news that Shoghi Effendi, then head of the Baha’i religion, would receive Baháʼís of New Zealand who wished to undertake pilgrimage. 1924 was also the year in which the first pioneer from New Zealand, Nora Lee, moved to Fiji. The first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly of the country was attempted in 1923 or 1924.

In 1925, Stevenson and two other New Zealand converts joined with a contingent from Australia for a year-long trip. They first went on pilgrimage for 19 days in the Holy Land, and then visited with the community of the Baháʼí Faith in the United Kingdom. During their travels, the news journal of New Zealand and Australia, Herald of the South, was first published in Auckland; later, in 1931, publication was transferred to Adelaide, Australia.

On their return, they carried with them dust from the Tomb of Baháʼu'lláh, which was placed in New Zealand soil at Stevenson's home in a ceremony held on 14 February 1926.

Also, in 1926, the Baháʼís in Auckland elected their first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly. By 1928 there were a total of seven such institutions in New Zealand and Australia. By 1940 there were 19 in total, and smaller groups of Baháʼís in 17 other locations. In 1931 the prominent Baháʼí Keith Ransom-Kehler, visited.

In 1934, Baháʼís of Australia and New Zealand elected a Regional National Assembly - there were three delegates from Auckland, three from Sydney and three from Adelaide. In 1947 Alvin and Gertrude Blum left the United States for New Zealand where they lived until 1953 when they pioneered to the Solomon Islands, and were named Knights of Baháʼu'lláh. In 1948, Albert White became the first person of Māori descent to accept the Baháʼí Faith. In 1949, the first Persian Baháʼí pioneer, Manoochehr Alaʼi, arrived as a student at Massey College. In 1953 the first standing Hand of the Cause, ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan, visited New Zealand. In 1957, the New Zealand community held its first independent National Convention to elect its own National Spiritual Assembly with three delegates from Auckland and two each from Devonport, New Plymouth and Wellington.

In 1958, Hand of the Cause of God, Enoch Olinga visited the Ngāruawāhia Marae and talked with elders. Four years later, when Hand of the Cause of God, Dr Muhajir visited, Ephraim Te Paa, a Kaumatua (Māori elder) from Ahipara joined the religion. In 1963, at the time of the election of the first Universal House of Justice, there were four Assemblies - Auckland, Devonport, Hamilton, Wellington – and 18 localities with smaller groups of Baháʼís.

The members of the New Zealand National Spiritual Assembly, who participated in the convention for the first election of the Universal House of Justice, were: Hugh Blundell, John Carr, Margaret Harnish, Linda Hight, Percy Leadley, Phyllis Milne, Jean Simmons, Douglas Weeks, and Terry Stirling.

Growth since the 1970s

In 1979, the New Zealand Baháʼí community came to the assistance of refugees to this country who were escaping from the persecution of Baháʼís in Iran . Later, between 1987 and 1989, some 142 Iranian Baháʼís settled in New Zealand.

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics. The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released. Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Baháʼí teachings, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979, there were 129 officially recognised Baháʼí socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognised development projects had increased to 1482. In the modern Baháʼí community of New Zealand the Baháʼís have multiplied their interests internally and externally. Aside from major themes there have also been individual work done in variety of topics – for example post-traumatic stress syndrome. Additionally the community has continued to advocate with the New Zealand government to speak up on behalf of the persecuted Baháʼís in Iran.

Race relations

In 1997 the Baháʼí community approached the Race Relations Conciliator with a project to honour the memory of Hedi Moani, an Iranian-born Baháʼí who worked to promote positive race relations. Discussions took place over many months and on 10 December 1998 (Human Rights Day), the Race Relations Office formally announced that Race Unity Day would be celebrated in New Zealand on 21 March each year. The first awards were in 2001. There are reviews of speeches in 2007, 2008, and 2009. National coverage of events with the police was affirmed in 2008. In addition to national-scale events various localities have had local competitions – an example was the observance in Whangārei and Lower Hutt in 2009. In 2012 then 13-year-old Rima Shenoy submitted a video that won first place in the Race Unity Speech Awards of the New Zealand Police and the Baháʼís.

Development