Assisted immigration to New Zealand 1947-1975

Long journey for sevenpence

New Zealand is a country of immigrants. Wave after wave of peoples have settled here: Polynesian, British, European, Asian. Some have been assisted to come to the country to boost the population, or to provide valuable labour skills.

This feature is based on Long Journey for Sevenpence: Assisted Immigration to New Zealand from the United Kingdom 1947-1975 by Megan Hutching. It records the experiences of some of the 77,000 women, children and men who came from Great Britain to New Zealand between 1947 and 1975 under the assisted immigration scheme.

Introduction: Before the Second World War

The post-Second World War assisted immigration scheme was not unique in the history of this country. Increasing the population during times of prosperity by offering assisted passages to potential immigrants had been a policy of New Zealand governments since 1840. At the end of 1918, William Massey's government revived a pre-war scheme and began advertising for immigrants in Britain.

The international economic collapse in 1929-30 dragged New Zealand's economy down with it, and depression set in during the early 1930s. After the collapse in 1929 the assisted immigration scheme was to all intents and purposes in abeyance, although domestic servants continued to be given assistance until 1931. Only 125 people were assisted to New Zealand after that year until the declaration of war in 1939.