Many people know the story of how God Defend New Zealand came to be written, but fewer know that it became our national anthem by accident. He said that if New Zealand won any event, he must be sure that the country's national anthem was lodged in advance with the band. She stopped at God Defend New Zealand, handed the book back to the chief of protocol and said: "That is our national anthem." Like many dozens of other Kiwis, Suckling really believed that God Defend New Zealand was our national anthem. Following the song's airing at the Munich Olympics, a campaign began in New Zealand to have it officially adopted as a national anthem.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 06, 2021 16:04 UTC