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Story: The New Zealanders

Kiwiana

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Kiwiana

From the 1980s Pākehā began to explore their distinctive traditions and to argue that New Zealanders had a culture which was neither Māori nor British. There was an interest in ‘kiwiana’ – items of popular culture thought to be unique to New Zealand, such as the pāua-shell ash-tray.

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, The New Zealanders – Bicultural New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/3976/kiwiana (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.