Story: Clothing and footwear manufacturing

Women workers (1st of 3)

Women workers

Women workers stand at machines in the Roslyn Woollen Mills, Otago, in 1907. Most clothing-factory employees were young women, who worked for very low rates of pay. The Factories Act 1891 had improved factory working conditions, but they could still be unpleasant and hazardous, as shown by the lack of seating and the exposed machinery in this photo.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Labour Department Collection
Reference: MNZ-0704-1/4; F

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.

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How to cite this page:

Jane Tolerton, 'Clothing and footwear manufacturing - Clothing factories', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/23981/women-workers (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Jane Tolerton, published 11 Mar 2010