Skip to main content

Kōrero: Men and women in the city

Rest rooms, Palmerston North

Image
Rest rooms, Palmerston North

In the 19th century few city spaces were open to women. Women had to fight for basic amenities like public toilets. Some of these evolved into rest rooms, where women could also change a baby’s nappy, have a cup of tea, or prepare for a night on the town. These rest rooms were built in the Square, Palmerston North, in 1936 and continued to be patronised in 2009.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Private collection

by Simon Nathan

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

Caroline Daley, Men and women in the city – Women’s spaces, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/24609/rest-rooms-palmerston-north (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Caroline Daley, i tāngia i te 17 December 2009.