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Kōrero: Culture and recreation in the city

Learning to swim

Image
Learning to swim

A swimming assistant teaches a young boy to swim at the Te Aro baths in Wellington in 1932. In the first half of the 20th century city recreation became more structured, and cities provided more facilities such as swimming baths. There was a special focus on involving young boys in organised recreation such as swimming because of a fear that unoccupied lads would became unruly larrikins.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/2-C-026891; F

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.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Jock Phillips, Culture and recreation in the city – Sport and recreation, 1900–1965, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/25681/learning-to-swim (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Jock Phillips, i tāngia i te 26 February 2010.