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Story: Wellington places

Austrian pre-fabs

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Austrian pre-fabs

A shortage of materials and labour in the early 1950s led the government to import 500 pre-fabricated dwellings from Austria to meet state housing demand. These were assembled in Tītahi Bay by 194 Austrian tradesmen brought in for the task. After completing their work some of them stayed on and became New Zealanders.

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Private collection

by Chris Maclean

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How to cite this page

Chris Maclean, Wellington places – Porirua, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13503/austrian-pre-fabs (accessed 9 June 2026).

Story by Chris Maclean, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 March 2016.