Dunmore Press in association with the Historical Branch,  Department of Internal Affairs, 1999 
ISBN 086469-346-X 
291pp 

Bricklayers and Mortarboards traces the history of New Zealand's 25 polytechnics and institutes of technology, from the creation of the first technical schools in the 1880s to the far-reaching education reforms of the 1990s. It covers the innovations aimed at providing advanced education for those who had traditionally missed out, and the controversies over issues such as the teaching of cultural safety in nursing courses. The book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of education in New Zealand, and the way it has responded to changes in government policies and needs. 

Ian Dougherty is a freelance journalist and historian. His previous books include For Your Information, on the history of citizens advice bureaux; Ham Shacks, Brass Pounders and Rag Chewers, on the history of amateur radio; Arawata Bill, on the legendary gold miner William James O'Leary; and Heart of Gold, on the author's home province of Otago.