MUP publishes New Zealand Between the Wars

Thursday 19 October 2017

The latest book from Massey University Press, New Zealand Between the Wars, edited by Massey University lecturer Dr Rachael Bell, is published this month.

MUP publishes New Zealand Between the Wars - image1
Last updated: Friday 15 July 2022

The latest book from Massey University Press, New Zealand Between the Wars, edited by Massey University lecturer Dr Rachael Bell, is published this month.

Looking back, New Zealand’s interwar years were seminal, and yet surprisingly few publications have been dedicated to them. New Zealand Between the Wars fills that gap and provides fresh insights into the country’s trajectory from colonial outpost to modern, independent nation.

Emerging from the horrors of World War One and the influenza epidemic of 1918, New Zealanders embraced a decade of new technologies and improved infrastructure. Radio and transport offered new forms of leisure and by 1926 our citizens enjoyed what was probably the highest rate of home ownership in the world. Bleak times were to follow, however, and by 1930 New Zealanders had slipped into the relentless grasp of the Great Depression. From those years of misery and insecurity rose new expectations of state assistance and the foundations of the Welfare State that we know today.

“From the depths of economic depression to the bright promise of the welfare state, the interwar decades transformed New Zealand society, consolidating trends established before World War I and initiating a slew of changes in attitude and practice which, as markers of modernity, set New Zealand firmly on its current course,” says Dr Bell.

The modernising influences of the interwar years led to changing aspirations and social reforms. The very fabric of New Zealand society was changing and with it, its cultural identity. Increasingly, people drifted from rural areas to towns and cities; leisure, entertainment and overseas fashion trends became increasingly important; and through such organisations as Plunket, Scouts and Girl Guides there was a greater focus on the health and wellbeing of our young people. 

This book explores the interwar years through a series of illuminating essays structured around four themes: modernity, the role of the state, citizenship and gender. New Zealand Between the Wars is an insightful and fascinating work. It is also a timely meditation on contemporary issues, including race relations, guardianship of the land and sea, gender equality, education, health and social welfare. 

About the editor

Dr Bell teaches New Zealand social history at Massey University. Her papers include “New Zealand between the wars 1919–1939” and “radical nation”, a survey of protest in New Zealand since World War Two. Dr Bell’s research focuses on the transmission of history within the national narrative, particularly as it has occurred through government-sponsored initiatives. Recent projects have included an examination of the official histories of New Zealand in World War Two and a consideration of the changes in understandings of the Treaty of Waitangi prior to 1972.