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Story: Workplace safety and accident compensation

Rehabilitating an injured war veteran

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Rehabilitating an injured war veteran

Chas Woodley lost his right hand and both eyes in the Second World War. In 1947 he was learning to operate a small hand loom so that he could have an occupation. A sense of social obligation to injured veterans like Mr Woodley helped create the public will to set up the Accident Compensation Commission (later Corporation).

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Alexander Turnbull Library, National Publicity Studios Collection

Reference: 1/4-016835; F/A9619

by Sparrow Industrial Pictures Ltd

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

Hazel Armstrong, Workplace safety and accident compensation – Workplace compensation, 19th and 20th centuries, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/23271/rehabilitating-an-injured-war-veteran (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Hazel Armstrong, published 2 March 2010.