Story: Poles

Taranaki loggers

Taranaki loggers

By the 1870s enough Poles had arrived in New Zealand to form small enclaves in several parts of the country. One of the largest such communities was in Taranaki. There, as elsewhere, most Poles worked initially as labourers, felling the bush, draining swamps and building roads. These Polish men have paused for a photograph before resuming the back-breaking job of logging.

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Puke Ariki - Taranaki Museum & Library
Reference: N.7.16

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How to cite this page:

Theresa Sawicka, 'Poles - The first arrivals', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/1158/taranaki-loggers (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Theresa Sawicka, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2015