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Story: Dancing

Railway workers’ dance, 1948

Video file

Railway workers, whose jobs meant they moved from place to place, put on their own dances. This film excerpt shows workers at Ōtira, on the West Coast, meeting for a Friday-night dance at a local hall. They are shown here dancing the maxina, with music provided by a piano player. Supper remained an important part of a dance. It was often provided by the women who attended, who brought plates of food to share.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Railway Worker. National Film Unit, 1948

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

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How to cite this page

Megan Cook, Dancing – Jazz to rock ’n’ roll, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/40944/railway-workers-dance-1948 (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Megan Cook, published 27 February 2013.