Application for peace celebrations subsidy

This application form for the government’s peace celebrations subsidy was completed by the Wellington City Council. It details the Council’s principal items of expenditure, the most costly of which were decorations and fireworks.

The Council’s initial application in December 1918 included an amount for peace souvenirs, which the Department of Internal Affairs subsequently advised were not eligible for a subsidy. They reapplied on the same form in January 1919, deleting this item but increasing the amount for wages.

The subsidy

The New Zealand government appropriated £31,500 for peace celebrations, equivalent to $3 million in 2014. Most of this money was spent on subsidies to local bodies. A statement prepared in January 1920 showed that a total of £22,935 16s 8d had been paid. The report noted that a large subsidy was still to be paid to Auckland City Council, and it appears that other areas had not yet filed applications.

Spending varied greatly from community to community. Several areas spent less than £10 on their celebrations, but most spent tens or hundreds of pounds, with only the main centres spending thousands.