Kiwis value their independence, but 118 years ago, the decision could have been made to throw away that independence in favour of becoming a state of Australia.

Imagine that - No All Blacks, nuclear-free legislation nor a claim to the first person who climbed Mount Everest.

The Aussies certainly used to claim us as their own. Up until 1835, the colony of New South Wales actually governed us, until a group of Māori chiefs signed a Declaration of Independence (He Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni).

Our separate identity was further enhanced with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and although there was a protracted and bloody armed struggle between some Māori iwi and British Imperial forces after that, Australia's colonial masters still eyed New Zealand as a potential prize.

At the end of the 19th century, all six Australian colonies voted unanimously to form a federated nation and asked New Zealand if we'd like to join. So why didn't we?

The 'King Dick' theory

Doctor Felicity Barnes, a senior lecturer in New Zealand History at the University of Auckland, told Newshub that the relative importance of the many reasons has been debated for decades.

"Some have argued that the New Zealand Prime Minister of the time, Richard 'King Dick' Seddon, preferred being the leader of a nation to being the leader of a state, and so failed to lend his not inconsiderable weight to the cause.

"Perhaps King Dick did fear losing his crown."