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Story: Building trades

Carpenter building a state house

Image
Carpenter building a state house

Well-known photographer John Pascoe photographed this carpenter building a state house at Naenae in 1944. The government’s involvement in house construction from the late 1930s helped to employ many tradesmen after a period when there had been little house-building work due to the economic depression.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)

Reference: 1/4-001172-F

by John Dobrée Pascoe

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

Carl Walrond, Building trades – Carpenters, joiners, painters, decorators and plasterers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/24683/carpenter-building-a-state-house (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 26 February 2010.