The growth of New Zealand identity 1890–1980
Case study: the 1940 Centennial
Related link on NZHistory.net.nz
Topics include:
- the role of the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington as a symbol of progress and the ingenuity of the national spirit
- the centennial and the nation at play
- local commemorations
- the centennial and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Between 8 November 1939 and 4 May 1940 more than 2.6 million people visited the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition in Wellington; this represents an average daily attendance of about 17,000 people. The government spent £250,000 – more than $19 million in today's money – on the exhibition.
