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Story: North Americans

Wartime wedding invitation

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Wartime wedding invitation

Canadian Kathy Archibald and New Zealander Paul Bennetts were married in Canada in 1945 and came to New Zealand in 1946. They lived first in Wellington and then settled in Hamilton, where they raised three children. Like other Canadian women, Kathy found it difficult initially to adjust to the less affluent living conditions in New Zealand. The five Canadian war brides who ended up living in Hamilton provided support for each other, and were close friends for over 50 years.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, North Americans – 1940–present: closer contact, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/4286/wartime-wedding-invitation (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.