Home Culture and Society Decade studies

Decade studies

This is the start of a long-term project to provide an historical survey of each decade of European settlement in New Zealand. Each topic includes a general overview and a year-by-year break down of key events that occurred. See also individual year overviews for 1870, 1907 and 1918, and an overview of NZ in the 19th century found elsewhere on the site.

A history of New Zealand 1769-1914

A history of New Zealand 1769-1914

From Cook to Cossacks: an overview of NZ's 'long nineteenth century' more...

The 1920s

The 1920s

Between the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Depression was the Roaring Twenties – the Jazz Age – an era of speed, power and glamour more...

The 1950s

The 1950s

The 1950s saw New Zealanders fight in the Korean War, conquer Mt Everest and crack the 2 million population mark, among many other things more...

The 1960s

The 1960s

During the 1960s the arrival of TV and jet airliners shrank our world, and New Zealanders began to express themselves on a range of international issues, including opposition to the Vietnam War more...

The 1970s

The 1970s

The 1970s were an era of economic and social change. Global oil shocks hit the New Zealand economy hard, while a new generation of activists raised questions about nuclear testing, race relations, sexuality and the welfare system more...

The 1980s

The 1980s

The 1980s were a decade of profound political and social change. It was the decade when the ‘baby boomers’ took charge. more...