Chronology for 1938-1971
Assimilating into universal welfare
Labour’s policies were underpinned by a principle of universality and a vision of the nation as a classless community. Rich, middle-class and poor were linked by the same national system of state support and social services; superannuation, however small, was to be available to every aged person who was not already on another benefit and was an important symbol of citizenship. The ‘system as a whole was removed from ‘the taint of charity’ and became a source of national pride’.[i] go to footnote
This was a period of great demographic change for iwi Māori with the mass migration of its rural population to the cities of New Zealand. The need for workers in essential industries and the post-war labour boom provided rangatahi and whānau Māori with ample employment, 'incomes that were almost equal to those of Pākehā, and access to family welfare benefits that boosted the incomes of large families by around 50 percent.'[ii] go to footnote However, the financial rewards were offset by one or both parents working long hours to cover the costs of city living and it exposed Māori to discrimination. The Department of Māori Affairs played a welfare role in the lives of whānau Māori during this period, with a policy of integrating Māori into the social fabric of ‘mainstream’ New Zealand society. Through housing allocation policies attempts were made to pepper pot Māori in Pākehā suburban streets.[iii] go to footnote Young Māori women who moved to the cities for essential industry work or single rangatahi simply moving to the city for work opportunities were directed into hostels.
Before the 1950s, child welfare agencies endeavoured to keep Māori children with their families or in their own tribal area.[iv] go to footnote In the 1950s, Māori became a disproportionate minority in all areas of child welfare work with a steady growth in Māori juvenile delinquency with recorded Māori offending at three or four times the rate of Pākehā, particularly in the 15–20 age.[v] go to footnote
Chronology events
Displaying 41 - 50 of 64 events.
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1955 Adoption Act and its 1962 amendment
Whangai was not a valid practice under these Acts, which ensured the secrecy of parents was upheld in the adoption process. Adoptions passed to the general courts signalling the completion of legal assimilation in this area of tīkanga Māori. The following …
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
New Zealand Māori Council formed
The Māori Council was described by Miria Szaszy as an undermining of wāhine Māori leadership and organisation.[i] The Māori Social and Economic Advancement Amendment Act 1961 contained the title ‘New Zealand Māori Council’.[ii] The Act accorded recognitio…
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
The Currie Report
Report of the Commission on Education in New Zealand reinforced the State’s provision and control of education. Advocated equality of opportunity, drew attention to the disparity in Māori education and recommended Te Reo as an optional subject at secondary…
Date: 1962 Period: 1938-1971 -
Māori Welfare Amendment Act
Section 2 of Act reinstated the Māori Committees’ authority over wardens, carried out by agreement between the NZMC and the Crown, and at the request of the NZMC.[i]
Date: 1963 Period: 1938-1971 -
‘Washday at the Pa’ published
The publication was distributed and then withdrawn from circulation following complaints from Māori and in particular the MWWL which asserted the booklet was a misrepresentation of Māori family life.[i]
Date: 1964 Period: 1938-1971 -
A Justice Department study into preventing child abuse
The Justice Department began a study of preventative measures aimed at the three categories of child abusers it had identified. Categories: the young and inadequate mother with a large family and little emotional support; the tense and perfectionist type…
Date: 1965 Period: 1938-1971 -
First urban marae
Te Puea, the country's first urban marae, opened in Auckland.
Date: 1965 Period: 1938-1971 -
Auckland Māori Committees offering services to new migrants
Thirty-three Māori Committees were operating in Auckland, offering services to assist new migrants to the city. Support included budgeting advice and advocacy on behalf of Māori people in their relations with Pākehā landlords or the authorities. In Ōtara, …
Date: 1966 Period: 1938-1971 -
Maori school leavers low achievement
Over 85% of Māori leave school with no qualifications.[i]
Date: 1966 Period: 1938-1971 -
Te Unga Waka centre
The centre was built by the Māori Catholic Community of Auckland.
Date: 1966 Period: 1938-1971
Footnotes
- [i] go to main content Tim Garlick, Social Developments: An organizational history of the Ministry of Social Development and its predecessors, 1860-2011, Steele Roberts Aotearoa, Wellington, 2012, p.70.
- [ii] go to main content Melissa Matutina Williams, Panguru and the City, Bridget Williams Books, Wellington, 2010, p. 195.
- [iii] go to main content Urbanisation – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- [iv] go to main content Bronwyn Dalley, Family Matters, Wellington, 1998, p. 6.
- [v] go to main content Dalley, 1998, p. 192.