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Kōrero: Youth offenders

Burnham Industrial School, about 1874

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Burnham Industrial School, about 1874

From the mid-19th century industrial and reformatory schools were set up to take in neglected and delinquent children. The two groups were supposed to be kept separate, but in reality were lumped together and treated similarly. This photograph shows a large group of boys at the Burnham Industrial School near Christchurch about 1874. In the background are male supervisors. They are setting off for a day's labour on the school farm.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: CW 15 box/item 5*8

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Gabrielle Maxwell, Youth offenders – Treatment of young offenders, 1840 to 1980s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/26592/burnham-industrial-school-about-1874 (accessed 20 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Gabrielle Maxwell, i tāngia i te 28 March 2011, updated 1 August 2017.