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Story: Home décor and furnishings

The 1970s: a labour-saving kitchen

Image
The 1970s: a labour-saving kitchen

This kitchen, photographed in 1970, contained the latest in labour-saving features, including an eye-level oven and separate hob, and a dishwasher. Such innovations became standard as families and especially working women had less time for housework and more income to spend on their homes.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, K. E. Niven and Co Collection

Reference: 1/2-228526-F

by K. E. Niven

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.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Home décor and furnishings – Nostalgia and materialism, 1960s to 2000s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/40723/the-1970s-a-labour-saving-kitchen (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 15 January 2013.