Kōrero: Government and sport

After the Second World War the New Zealand government put considerable resources into teaching children to swim. The government provided susbidies for swimming pools and began classes. In this 1947 film we see the Wellington Education Board taking responsibility for teaching 6,000 pupils in local swimming pools. Later the role was taken over by the National Water Safety Council (now Water Safety New Zealand), which received financial support through the Department of Internal Affairs.