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Story: Childhood

The age of childhood

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The age of childhood

Age is the primary way children are defined in a legal sense. Different abilities, responsibilities and culpabilities are bestowed at different ages. The definition of a child has changed over time, and it also varies between different laws and policies in place at the same time. This newspaper clipping from 1872 explains that a child of seven is treated as an adult when it comes to running a bank account.

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National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past

Reference: Timaru Herald, 5 February 1972, p. 4

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Childhood – Defining childhood, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/26262/the-age-of-childhood (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 22 March 2011.