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Kōrero: Central and South-eastern Europeans

Builders take a break

Builders take a break

The high numbers of Austrian tradesmen brought to New Zealand in the early 1950s made it possible for a community to develop. These men, employed in Porirua, celebrate their cultural identity by wearing the costume of their homeland.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Pātaka - Porirua Museum of Arts and Cultures

Reference: PM 135/9

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

John Wilson, Central and South-eastern Europeans – Austrians, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/1704/builders-take-a-break (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā John Wilson, i tāngia i te 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.

Comments

Zsa Zsa Hughes
21 April 2015
My Grandfather was one of the Austrians building houses in Porirua in the 1950's. He sent a letter to my grandmother in Austria asking her to marry him even though they barely knew each other! Most of her family had died in the war so she came out here on her own. The built a house in Johnsonville and were married for over 30 years. Its wonderful to be able to access these photos online so that people can have easy access to their family's history.