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Story: Tokelauans

Hostel workers, Wellington, 1963

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Hostel workers, Wellington, 1963

Ario Galo (left) and Saroa Lafu were among a group of 10 young Tokelauan women who arrived in New Zealand in January 1963 to work as ‘domestics’ in hospitals and hostels through a government-assisted migrant workers’ scheme. They were employed at the Public Service Boys’ Hostel (in the building now known as Antrim House) in Wellington. When photographed they had been in New Zealand for only three weeks.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1963/0437; F

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

Carl Walrond, Tokelauans – Immigration, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/3791/hostel-workers-wellington-1963 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2015.