Events In History
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17 July 1939Death of Paddy the WandererPaddy, a ginger and brown Airedale terrier, became a national celebrity because of his exploits on the Wellington waterfront and beyond during the 1930s. Read more...
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18 June 1932Long-distance walker Esther James reaches BluffThe Aucklander, a well-connected former model, had left Spirits Bay in the Far North on 3 December to walk the length of the country to promote New Zealand-made goods during the Depression. She had government patronage and support from the Manufacturers’ Federation. Read more...
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14 April 1932Unemployed riot rocks Queen StreetAuckland’s Queen Street riot was by far the most destructive of the disturbances that rocked the four main centres in the ‘angry autumn’ of 1932. Read more...
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9 April 1932Unemployed disturbances in DunedinDuring the 'angry autumn' of 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, unemployed workers in Dunedin reacted angrily when the Hospital Board refused to assist them. Read more...
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22 September 1931Coalition government formed to combat DepressionUnited Party Prime Minister George Forbes had convened an inter-party conference with the goal of forming a coalition government that would ‘share the responsibility’ of dealing with the Depression. Read more...
Articles
The New Zealand Legion
The year 1933 witnessed an unprecedented eruption of protest amongst urban businessmen and professionals in New Zealand. The most prominent manifestation of this protest was a radical conservative movement named the New Zealand Legion.
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Page 2 – Origins
The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 is generally recognised as the event that triggered the Great Depression. In New Zealand, the effects of the crash were not immediately
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Page 3 – The desire to 'do something'
The New Zealand Legion was much more than a conservative protest against the coalition government. It was the focal point for a wide range of individuals, overwhelmingly from
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Page 4 – Organisation and membership
For the first few months after its February 1933 formation, the New Zealand Legion’s efforts were devoted to organisation and recruitment.
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Page 6 – Internal conflicts
Because the New Zealand Legion was such a catch-all movement for various ideas and grievances, it was inevitable that its inherent contradictions would surface.
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Page 7 – Decline
Internal divisions and resignations over policy had considerably sapped the New Zealand Legion’s strength by the beginning of 1934.
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Page 8 – Further information
Links and further reading suggestions relating to the New Zealand Legion, 1933-35
Biographies
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Savage, Michael Joseph
Michael Joseph Savage, New Zealand’s first Labour PM, was probably also it's best-loved. His avuncular image hung in the homes of the Labour faithful for decades.
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Holland, Henry Edmund
Harry Holland was an Australian-born radical who led the Labour Party from 1919 until his death in 1933. Holland's socialism was described as 'emotional, not intellectual'. He believed socialism would overcome society's problems.
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Lee, Alfred Alexander
A charismatic ex-soldier, orator and propagandist, John A. Lee was a dynamic figure in the Labour Party from the 1920s until 1940, when he was expelled for attacking the leadership of M.J. Savage.
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Forbes, George William
George William Forbes term as prime minister (1930-1935) coincided with the harsh economic and social climate of the 1930s Great Depression.
Read more...
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Main image: NZ under control of Tooley Street cartoon
Cartoon shows the influnce of British financiers on New Zealand's ability to get out of the Depression.
