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Story: Rural clothing

Becoming a citizen

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Becoming a citizen

In 1998, when English-born Anni Watkins received New Zealand citizenship, she dressed in a black singlet, wore gumboots (‘green bands’), draped a roll of no. 8 fencing wire over her shoulder, and dragged a Buzzy Bee toy – all symbols of New Zealand. In this photograph she is showing her daughter, Neli Padgett, her certificate of citizenship.

Using this item

Otago Daily Times

Reference: 9 April 1998

Permission of the Otago Daily Times must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Bronwyn Labrum, Rural clothing – Black singlets and bush shirts, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/18511/becoming-a-citizen (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Bronwyn Labrum, published 1 March 2009.