1972: Masterton Cosmopolitan Club
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Masterton Cosmopolitan Club (1972-2016) is a good example of a number of working men’s club style establishments of its day. From the photos we have of the founders they were evidently middle aged Silent Generation with a few adult Boomers. The Silents present themselves as pleasant with short hair and one of them, Mr Holland, […]
Read more..August 23, 2024
1908: Tudor Towers Bathhouse
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in history, 13 August, 1908, The State controlled town of Rotorua opened up a monument to quackery: The Tudor Towers bathhouse. Government convinced people to line up to be ‘cured’ by electricity and water and is doubtless responsible for much false hope and early deaths unrecorded by State history. It was called “balneology” but […]
Read more..August 13, 2024
1995: Professional Rugby
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in New Zealand history, 10 August, 1995, cultural and rugby history was made. Josh Kronfeld and Jeff Wilson signed professional contracts with the NZ Rugby Union. The first All Blacks to do so. The Australian-based World Rugby Corporation had big plans but they were defeated….By the All Blacks teaming up instead with Rupert Murdoch […]
Read more..August 10, 2024
1925: Waiuku Public Library
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in history, 29 July 1946, The Waiuku Town Board took over the administration of the Waiuku library. Like so many New Zealand libraries (if not all) this started out as a private, community affair. Waiuku’s was paid for and run by by a committee of subscribers. Ref. Manukaus Journey timeline, Auckland Libraries. The earlier […]
Read more..July 29, 2024
1898: The Political Woman
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
First Wave Feminism spiked for New Zealand in the 1890s then died down again as observed in this 1898 cartoon by Ashley Hunter. The text is a little hard to read in the original so I’ve typed it out below that the cartoon may live again. Hunter was correct that this Feminism 1.0 was a […]
Read more..July 28, 2024
1859: Cameron and Macdonald
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
South of Queenstown a large boulder is separated from Lake Wakatipu by State Highway 6. It’s a marker for 3 great New Zealand explorers of which 2 became pioneers. All 3 had come over from South Australia on the same ship (Peregrine Oliver,) in order to seek out new sheep country. For one, Donald Hay, […]
Read more..July 27, 2024
1852: Father of the New Zealand Turf
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in New Zealand history, 25 July, 1852, the Spray arrived in Nelson carrying 33 important horses from Sydney. Henry Redwood Jr. was first among several Nelsonians to found hose-racing and during his lifetime referred to as ‘The Father of New Zealand Racing’. He was also one of our early Catholics who recovered the standing […]
Read more..July 25, 2024
1864: The Waite
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in New Zealand history, 22 July, 1864, pioneer storekeeper and entrepreneur Reuben Waite (1823-1885) landed and set up shop at at Greymouth. This moment was the key event in opening up an unwanted, remote, country which very soon became the most prosperous and wealthy part of all New Zealand. Before The Waite charted the […]
Read more..July 22, 2024
1940: Wartime Conscription
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
On 22 July, 1940, conscription was introduced by the Labour 1.0 Government. All males ages between 18 and 46 eligible for call up to service via the ballot. It was a decision supported by the majority that a New Zealander’s life belonged not to himself but to The State. This means that almost nobody who […]
Read more..July 19, 2024
1953: Auckland’s Southern Motorway
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Today in history, 16 July 1953, Auckland’s first motorway, the Southern Motorway, officially opened. This 3.2-kilometre Penrose to Mt Wellington section was only the beginning. Created by Minister of Works Stan Goosman (National 1.0) and he keept building it further and further south opening up southern Auckland. In 1955 it reached Wiri, then Takanini in […]
Read more..July 16, 2024
1885: Government Tram of Death
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Government trying be venture capitalists tends to be stupid and a failure. Worse, it’s someone else who must pay for their mistakes and not the twits involved. How many times does New Zealand need to re-learn that government should not and cannot “pick winners?” You might like to think that the occasion upon which Christchurch […]
Read more..July 12, 2024
2011: Flixbox
By Anarchist History of New Zealand
Flixbox started up in New Zealand in 2011 with DVD Vending machines which must have worked well because they were prolific in Auckland for about 10 years. Very useful for watching new release movies. What coincided with their quietly vanishing was not that people stopped wanting them or even that streaming platforms took over. It […]
Read more..July 8, 2024
