Story: Inner-city living

Wellington YMCA hostel (1st of 2)

Wellington YMCA hostel

Hostels attracted young people moving to the city from the country or other towns. Parents were reassured by the care hostel staff took of their offspring, and residents found that hostels were a good place to meet new friends. Hostels had night curfews and were segregated. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) were among the largest providers, with hostels in each of the main cities. This 1910s postcard shows the YMCA hostel in Wellington’s Willis St, and has been annotated ‘Where I reside’.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PAColl-5932-52-front

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Philip Morrison and Ben Schrader, 'Inner-city living - Early inner-city living and its decline', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/23737/wellington-ymca-hostel (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Philip Morrison and Ben Schrader, published 11 Mar 2010