Story: Sports and leisure

The ‘six o’clock swill’

The ‘six o’clock swill’

Before the introduction of ten o’clock closing in October 1967, New Zealand pubs were characterised by scenes like this. An exclusively male group drink frantically while bartenders fill jugs of beer. Subsequently drinking became more genteel, with women as well as men enjoying rather more comfortable surroundings.

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New Zealand Herald
Reference: 9 October 1967

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Sports and leisure - Home and city', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/2248/the-six-oclock-swill (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, updated 1 Sep 2015