On 6 September 1948 the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act was passed. Henceforth people born in this country, and immigrants to New Zealand who wished to become naturalised, would be citizens of New Zealand. The fiftieth anniversary of the passing of that Act is the occasion for the publication of these biographies of immigrants to this country who have become New Zealand citizens. 

Megan Hutching began this project by reading legislation, annual reports of the Department of Internal Affairs, and the New Zealand Official Yearbook to acquire an understanding of the legislative and administrative background to the process of obtaining citizenship. She then interviewed representatives of the nine different countries which were the homelands of the majority of those who had become New Zealand citizens in the half century since the Act was passed. The thirteen biographies which make up the book consist mainly of transcripts of interviews recorded between February and June 1998. 

RRP: Free!
ISBN 0-478-09237-7 

To order contact: Pauline Hoy, History Group, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, PO Box 5364, Wellington. Email: [email protected]