Decade studies
This section provides an historical survey of some of the key decades of European settlement in New Zealand. Each topic includes a general overview and a year-by-year break down of significant events that occurred. See also individual year overviews for 1870, 1907 and 1918 found elsewhere on the site.
History of New Zealand, 1769–1914
From Cook to Cossacks: an overview of NZ's 'long nineteenth century'
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The 1920s
Between the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Depression was the Roaring Twenties – the Jazz Age – an era of speed, power and glamour
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The 1950s
The 1950s saw New Zealanders fight in the Korean War, conquer Mt Everest and crack the 2 million population mark, among many other things
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The 1960s
During the 1960s the arrival of TV and jet airliners shrank our world, and New Zealanders began to express themselves on a range of international issues, including opposition to the Vietnam War
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The 1970s
The 1970s were an era of economic and social change. Global oil shocks hit the New Zealand economy hard, while a new generation of activists raised questions about nuclear testing, race relations, sexuality and the welfare system
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The 1980s
The 1980s were a decade of profound political and social change. It was the decade when the ‘baby boomers’ took charge.
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