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Story: Suburbs

Men in the suburbs, 1950s

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Men in the suburbs, 1950s

This 1950s state house tenant has turned much of his back section into a thriving vegetable garden. Until the appearance of supermarkets in the 1970s, home-grown vegetables were an important extra food source for many families, and considered part of a father’s domestic responsibilities.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AAQT 6401, A65490

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How to cite this page

Mark Derby, Suburbs – Life in the suburbs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/25065/men-in-the-suburbs-1950s (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Mark Derby, published 4 February 2010.