Story: City public spaces

Underground power lines

In the 20th century municipalities began putting services like electricity cables underground to improve the appearance of streets. This clip shows how it was done.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Pictorial Parade 100. National Film Unit, 1960

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Geoffrey Rice, City public spaces – Streets, avenues and pedestrian spaces, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/22928/underground-power-lines (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Geoffrey Rice, published 6 April 2010.