Skip to main content

Kōrero: Wellington places

Austrian pre-fabs

Image
Austrian pre-fabs

A shortage of materials and labour in the early 1950s led the government to import 500 pre-fabricated dwellings from Austria to meet state housing demand. These were assembled in Tītahi Bay by 194 Austrian tradesmen brought in for the task. After completing their work some of them stayed on and became New Zealanders.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Private collection

by Chris Maclean

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Chris Maclean, Wellington places – Porirua, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/13503/austrian-pre-fabs (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Chris Maclean, i tāngia i te 3 March 2009, updated 1 March 2016.