A Wellington garage manager locks up his pumps in February 1974 during the first oil shock. As a result of the Yom Kippur Arab–Israeli war in October 1973, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) restricted the supply of oil. This increased the price over four-fold and created uncertainty about supply. New Zealand was faced with a massive impact on the balance of trade and the balance of payments, since oil was a significant portion of the country’s imports. Restrictions were placed on the sale of petrol and permits were required to buy it at the weekend.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)
Reference: EP-Energy-Petrol-service-stations-01
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.