<P> In 1948, the New Zealand Parliament passed the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948, altering the New Zealand nationality law . From 1 January 1949 all New Zealanders became New Zealand citizens . However, New Zealanders remained British subjects under New Zealand nationality law . Prior to this Act, migrants to New Zealand were classed as either "British" (mainly from the United Kingdom itself, but also other Commonwealth countries such as Australia, South Africa and India) or "Non-British". </P> <P> At a meeting of Commonwealth prime ministers in 1952 following the death of King George VI, it was agreed that the new Queen Elizabeth could have a royal style and title that was different in each dominion, but with an element common to all the dominions . New Zealand was thus an independent Commonwealth realm . In 1953 the New Zealand Parliament passed the Royal Style and Titles Act 1953, which formally recognised Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of the United Kingdom and New Zealand . </P> <P> In 1967, the first New Zealand - born Governor - General was appointed to the office, Lord Poritt (although Bernard Freyberg had previously been appointed in 1946; Freyberg had been born in the United Kingdom, but had lived in New Zealand from a young age). Porritt had also been resident in the United Kingdom for most of his life . The result was a greater focus on new overseas markets for New Zealand goods, mainly in the Asia - Pacific regions . </P> <P> Some historians argue that a more significant move towards independence in a practical rather than legal sense came in 1973, when Britain joined the European Economic Community . The move, although anticipated, caused major economic structural adjustment issues, as the vast majority of New Zealand's exports went to Britain at that time . </P>

When did new zealand stop being a british colony