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Story: Spending in the economy

1930s depression

Video file

This excerpt from 1973 television documentary The years back highlights people’s differing experience of the 1930s depression. For many of those who stayed in work, spending (and enjoyment of social events) continued relatively undisturbed.

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TVNZ Television New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Paul Dalziel, Spending in the economy – Spending in difficult times, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/21629/1930s-depression (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Paul Dalziel, published 4 March 2010, updated 16 September 2016.