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Story: Unions and employee organisations

Working in an ammunition factory

Image
Working in an ammunition factory

During the Second World War both women and Māori entered the paid workforce, and joined unions, in larger numbers than ever before. This woman is examining small-arms ammunition in a Hamilton factory in 1944.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)

Reference: 1/4-000857; F

by John Dobrée Pascoe

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

Erik Olssen, Unions and employee organisations – The second Federation of Labour, 1935–45, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/22273/working-in-an-ammunition-factory (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Erik Olssen, published 4 February 2010.