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Story: Children’s play

Public playground at Newtown, 1920s

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Public playground at Newtown, 1920s

Children play at the Newtown playground, in Wellington, in the 1920s. The playground was set up in 1922, following concerns that Newtown children had to play in the streets. It was located in front of the Wellington Hospital. Features such as the very high slide and the hard surfaced playground would later come to be seen as dangerous.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/2-049054

by Sydney Charles Smith

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

Peter Clayworth, Children’s play – Where children play, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/40856/public-playground-at-newtown-1920s (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 13 February 2013.