These children are attending their local school near Waihī, rather than working in the fields at home. The introduction of compulsory schooling for children in 1877 reduced their input into farm labour, although it took some time before school attendance was regular, especially at harvest times.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
1/1-017867; G
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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